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The majority of First Nations people in BC live in urban areas or away from home. However, mainstream health services are not always accessible due to systemic, institutional, clinical and individual barriers. The FNHA has multiple roles as a service provider, funder, partner and advocate to support the health and wellness of all First Nations people in BC, regardless of where they live or access their health services.

The First Nations Urban and Away from ​Home (UAH) population includes status and non-status First Nations people in BC who live in:​

UAH Engagement – We Want to Hear
from You!

The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) is engaging with the UAH population, BC First Nations, urban Indigenous organizations and health system partners in each region. The goal of this work is to create and improve UAH engagement and communications pathways with our partners to support FNHA health and wellness planning.

UAH Engagement launched in March 2023 and sessions will continue to take place throughout the province both in person and virtu​ally, beginning with the Northern Region.  You can register for an in-person engagement session here.

For those unable to attend a session, there is an online engagement survey available​.​​​

Programs, Services and Resources

First Nations people living in urban areas and away from home have access to programs, services and resources provided by the FNHA, including:

• First Nations Health Benefits (available to status First Nations people living in BC)
• Virtual Doctor of the Day
• Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service
• Maternity and Babies Advice Line
• The Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program
• Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT)
• Naloxone Coverage
• Mental Health and Substance Use
• FNHA Mental Health Providers Map
• Compliments and Complaints
• Urban and Away-From-Home Lunch and Learn​​​
  

For a full list of the FNHA's programs, services and resources, visit our What We Do page. 

Stay Up-to​-Date!

Join the Urban and Away From ​Home contact list using our online form.

Sign up for the FNHA e-newsletter to stay informed about activities, new programs and services (scroll down to the site footer and enter your email address).

Framework

The document Urban and Away from Home Health and Wellness Framework outlines high-level principles and strategic directions for expanding the scope and function of FNHA support for the urban and away-from-home population.

The “Framework at a Glance" illustration provides an overview of the three streams of the Framework and the key areas of work within each stream.

Survey Report

The FNHA ​conducted a survey to understand how First Nations people living in urban areas and away from home access health and wellness information.​​​

The results of the survey, described in the Urban and Away-from-Home Survey Results Report, will inform the development of communications and engagement strategies. The Summary of Survey Results document highlights key findings from the survey.

UAH Funding Initiative​

We are excited to int​roduce our annual UAH Funding Initiative.

Grants of up to $25,000 are available to support the UAH population in areas of primary care, m​ental health and wellness, the toxic drug response and/or addressing racism in health and wellness.

For more information on examples of previously funded initiatives, detailed criteria and how to apply, visit the UAH Funding Initiative page​​​​.​​​