Canadian policy dictates that the federal government is responsible for the healthcare of Indigenous persons. Yet, all healthcare-related services are supplied by provincial governments. Given that the federal and provincial governments arent always aligned, how can the healthcare of Indigenous people be assured? The subsequent case study can be obtained on the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada website (2008).
Jordan was a young First Nations child who was born with complex medical needs. As his family did not have access to the support needed to care for him at their home on reserve, they made the difficult decision to place Jordan in child welfare care shortly after birth. Jordan remained in hospital for the first two years of his life as his medical condition stabilized. During this time, the First Nations child and family service agency, First Nations community, and family worked together to locate a medically trained foster home and to raise money to refit a van for Jordans safe transportation. Shortly after Jordans second birthday, doctors said he could go to a family home. This decision should have been a time of celebration but for federal and provincial governments it was a time to begin arguing over which department would pay for Jordans at-home care. The jurisdictional dispute would last over two years during which time Jordan remained unnecessarily in hospital. The disputed costs ranged from higher-cost items such as renovations to the home for a wheelchair ramp to low-cost items such as showerheads. The community initially tried to mediate a solution between the governments, but when this failed they turned to legal action. Shortly after Jordans fourth birthday in the hospital, the jurisdictional dispute was settled, but not in time for Jordan who sadly passed away before he could live in a family home.
What could the role of an individual social worker or social work as a profession be in cases such as that of Jordan River Anderson? What types of advocacy could have taken place here? Describe what that might look like on a micro, mezzo, and/or macro level.
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