QEII Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department is working with reduced space, which may lead to delays for those with less urgent concerns. Learn more here.
Starting Saturday, December 14, the entrance to the QEII Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department will change to 1840 Bell Road. Learn more.
For anyone feeling lost in a maze of wellness options, the Community Health Team is one of the best kept secrets in the greater Halifax area. The team has four locations, in Spryfield, the Halifax peninsula, Bedford-Sackville, and Dartmouth, where staff meet people where they are and help them navigate their wellness needs. The Community Health Team is a service of Nova Scotia Health in partnership with IWK Health and offers free in-person group wellness programs and navigation to services.
From community centers to coffee shops, passionate team members, like Lisa Sutherland who leads the Bedford-Sackville team, meet people close to home to help them find the right services, programs and supports they need.
The mission is simple, yet profound: to provide accessible, community-centered support that meets people where they are. The team is known for its commitment to inclusivity, community connection, and wellness empowerment. Last year, the team was nominated for the Nova Scotia Health Making Waves award, which they went on to win for their exceptional work in the area of diversity and inclusion. Sutherland says they had to first, understand and engage with the communities they were working with to build trust and partnerships.
“In order to do that, you have to be respectful of the diverse communities you’re engaging with,” Sutherland explains. “Before we even opened our doors, we held engagements in the community to find out what strengths the community had, what the challenges were, and what they wanted to see us do.”
Support in Community
Teams help individuals connect with the resources they need through two types of roles: wellness facilitators and wellness navigators. Wellness facilitators are trained professionals—physiotherapists and dietitians—who lead physical activity and healthy eating programs and provide navigation in these areas. Wellness navigators bring diverse expertise from nursing, social work, occupational therapy, and recreation therapy. They offer mental wellness programs and work closely with clients to address their needs and provide more complex navigation through the community and healthcare systems.
“If someone in the community is struggling with loneliness, they might meet with one of our navigators at a library, community center, or coffee shop. We try to go where they are because transportation can be a huge barrier to accessing help,” Sutherland says.
Navigators can make a significant impact for those struggling to find the support they need. “It’s very complicated out there,” says Sutherland “There is support out there, but when you’re overwhelmed, it’s the hardest time to figure it all out. Our navigators can help with that.”
Putting Community Members in Control of Their Wellness Journey
The model is centered on empowering individuals to set and reach their own goals. “Ultimately, they are in charge,” Sutherland emphasizes. “We find out what their goals are and connect them to the best resources to support those goals. This could include managing chronic conditions, dealing with financial or housing issues, or seeking mental health support.”
Access to the Community Health Team doesn’t require a referral and reduces some barriers to accessing services. “We like to say we’re always the right door,” Sutherland notes. “If we don’t have the program or service someone needs, we make it our job to connect them to it, if it exists.”
Building Connections and Partnerships in Diverse Communities
Beyond direct support, teams work to build strong community connections. This means actively engaging with local organizations like libraries, food banks, community groups, mosques, and other places of worship, to expand their network and learn about other available resources. Sutherland underscores that teams are also committed to continuous learning, regularly meeting to discuss diversity and inclusion topics and engage underserviced communities.
“Inclusion is not something you can be an expert in,” Sutherland cautions. “We’re always learning, and we have to view everything we do through that lens—whether it’s in the language we use or the images we choose for our presentations. We even consider things like financial diversity, making sure the people in our materials reflect everyone in our community.”
For Sutherland, it’s all about putting people first and ensuring they have the support and resources they need to thrive. “Our team has created a culture that truly values diversity, culture, and inclusion,” she reflects. “We’re here to meet people where they are and help them lead healthier lives on their own terms.”
For more information on Community Health Teams and the services they provide, visit Community Health Teams.