Government Seeks Community Partner to Develop, Deliver Grief, Wellness Services

The Province is looking for a community-based organization to help design and deliver grief, bereavement and emotional wellness supports in northern Nova Scotia, as recommended in the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report.

“No one knows these communities better than the people who call them home, many of whom lived through the tragic events in April 2020,” said Brian Comer, Minister responsible for the Office of Addictions and Mental Health. “Working with community-based partners helps us better understand the unique needs of Nova Scotians in Cumberland, Colchester and East Hants, so we can design and deliver grief and bereavement programs, services and supports that meet those needs.”

The successful organization will work with the government, Nova Scotia Health, other health system partners and community-based service providers to co-ordinate the delivery of grief, bereavement and emotional wellness supports.

For the first year, the work will focus on the Cumberland, Colchester and East Hants communities most impacted by the mass casualty, expanding across the province over the following year.

Interested community-based organizations will be able to attend webinars to review grant materials and have until August 25 to submit proposals. The grant is expected to be awarded in the fall.

The agreement is valued at up to $800,000 in the first year and up to $1.5 million in the second.

Work is also underway to identify a partner to support an ongoing needs assessment and program evaluation.

Quick Facts:

• on May 31, the provincial and federal governments appointed former justice Linda Oland as founding chair of the implementation and monitoring committee
• the commission’s recommendation reads: “The Commission recommends that (a) By May 1, 2023, the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia should jointly fund a program to address the public health emergency that exists in Colchester, Cumberland, and Hants counties as a result of an unmet need for mental health, grief, and bereavement supports arising from the April 2020 mass casualty. (b) This program should be developed and implemented by a local multidisciplinary team of health professionals with the ability to draw on external resources as needed. (c) The program should provide concerted supports on an urgent basis and transition to long term care over time. (d) Mi’kmaw communities should have the opportunity to participate in the program either on a joint or an independent basis. (e) The program should be funded to carry out needs and impact assessments in 2023, 2025, and 2028.”

Additional Resources:

Request for proposal and supporting documents: https://novascotia.ca/news/docs/community-support/

Support for communities impacted by the April 2020 mass casualty: https://novascotia.ca/community-support/

News Release – Founding Chair Named to Support Governments’ Work on Mass Casualty Commission Recommendations: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20230531001

Mass Casualty Commission final report: https://masscasualtycommission.ca/final-report/