After last week’s lively discussion, with host Charla Williams, North End Matters continues next week to explore the social determinants of health in the North End. Next week’s show brings in former Minister of Health, (and former Minister of Health, Promotion and Protection) Maureen MacDonald, and Joan Rankin of the IWK’s Collaborative Mental Health Care Team. The topic will be a discussion of health and mental issues of some of the most vulnerable families in the North End.

 

The Honourable Maureen MacDonald was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as MLA for Halifax Needham in 1998 and was re-elected in 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2009.

 

Prior to her election, Maureen was a faculty member at the Maritime School of Social Work, where she taught social policy and community development. Maureen?s past employment includes social work at the Nova Scotia Hospital (Adolescent Services), advocacy at Dalhousie Legal Aid, and community development with the North End Clinic and the North End Parent Resource Centre.

 

Since Aug of 2009, Joan Rankin has been a part of the IWK Collaborative Mental Health Care Team and works in the community with the North End Community Health Centre and Duffus Health Centre, where her primary responsibility is to respond to referrals from primary health professionals who are concerned with the mental health of the children and families that they are seeing.Joan has 30 years experience as a health and mental health professional.

 

North End Matters is produced by Pink Dog Productions for Dr.Ingrid Waldron, Assistant Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie University and hosted by haligonia.ca. This online series is based on Dr. Waldron’s study, “Challenges and Opportunities: Identifying Meaningful Occupations in Low Income, Racialized Communities in North End Halifax”. Last winter Pink Dog Productions produced a video that served as a stimulus for a diverse group of people to discuss and maybe even find solutions to the cycle of poverty and its devastating effect on health (and therefore on our economy). A forum, Can We Talk?, was held at the North Branch Library in February that stimulated dialogue and offered new and creative ideas.

 

North End Matters is a live-streamed, online talk show that brings in policy makers and service providers to discuss upcoming changes in the North End. Our broadcast includes a chat system that enables viewers to ask guests questions that matter to them. Please join us in this community engagement! You can find us on Facebook and at haligonia.ca on Wednesday, July 4 at 5pm.

 

For more information:

 

Aaron Johnson or Sarah Wakely at: pinkdogvideos@gmail.com or 429-3647