Joint news release with the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Society of Yukon and the Kids Brain Health Network
New staff dedicated to helping Yukoners navigate the health, social and education systems will now be available. Through a partnership with the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Society of Yukon (FASSY) and the Kids Brain Health Network, the Government of Yukon is launching this new initiative aimed at providing more support to families and individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
This project brings together partners from government, non-governmental agencies and community organizations to reduce system-level barriers and provide easier access to the supports already in place across the territory.
The two additional staff, employed by FASSY, will work directly with individuals, families and organizations to coordinate services by delivering expert knowledge, and providing guidance and consultation.
Having the right systems and supports in place is important, but so is ensuring Yukoners can access them. This program meets Yukoners with neurodevelopmental disabilities where they are, whether it’s in Whitehorse or in our communities, and provide them with much needed support.
Minister of Health and Social Services Pauline Frost
We are very excited to be part of this collaborative project as we have been searching for a way to reach out to people in communities outside of Whitehorse to be able to provide supports and build capacity to support all people with neurodevelopmental disabilities is a wonderful opportunity.
FASSY has often gotten requests for help from individuals and communities and this project will enable us to start consistently providing information and support. For the last three years FASSY has been doing a FASD education for rural communities project in collaboration with CYFN and this seems like the next step and will provide mentorship for services within communities.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Society of Yukon executive director Wenda Bradley
The Kids Brain Health Network is overjoyed in bringing together hugely committed teams of various stakeholder groups to help individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families navigate an oftentimes daunting system to obtain best outcomes for their kids and the entire family. It is wonderful to see three diverse communities in Western Canada (Edmonton, Whitehorse and Vancouver) come together to share best practices in providing a set of resources and a process of navigation to improve the lives of kids with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and with that the family unit and the community. It is only fitting that we start our journey in Whitehorse where there has been wonderful support from a host of partners, including government and advocacy groups.
Kids Brain Health Network scientific director Dan Goldowitz
The two systems navigators will be based in Watson Lake and Dawson City. There will also be a systems navigator coordinator to support the project.
The Kids Brain Health Network has chosen Yukon, Edmonton and Vancouver for this new project.
The project team held their initial meeting on June 12 and 13 in Whitehorse.
Sunny Patch
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7478
sunny.patch@gov.yk.ca
Clarissa Wall
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-667-3010
clarissa.wall@gov.yk.ca