The Centre will be closed on Monday October 12, 2026 for the statutory holiday.
The Centre will be closed on Monday October 12, 2026 for the statutory holiday.
For over 30 years, Soonats’ooneh has partnered with local, regional and provincial health organizations and government to serve the Indigenous clients in Lheidli T’enneh First Nation territory. The team of healthcare professionals and Indigenous Knowledge Holders provides primary and specialty care, integrates Indigenous health practices, and supports clients’ emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Ts’uhoont’i unjan Lheidli T’enneh bu keyoh tse tsu whut’i utsut’en inkez nuwhutsulye’. Tubeh nenachailya
At Soonats’ooneh we raise our hands with gratitude and respect to honour the peoples on the confluence of the two rivers for stewarding these lands since time immemorial. We are humbled to serve the Dakelh peoples and all Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit & Métis) on the ancestral lands and unceded territories of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation.
To create an environment that nurtures health and healing for all.
Soonats’ooneh strives to recognize the unique healthcare needs of Indigenous People and people who live on, or close to, the street. Our goal is to provide culturally safe and proactive health care that promotes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harmony.
We acknowledge people and are engaged at every interaction. We value what each person brings to our work. We challenge each other to learn and grow. We are client-centred and client-driven.
We are authentic and genuine: with each other and with our clients. We value honesty that is tempered with compassion. We are conscious of our intent and take responsibility for the impact of our words and actions.
We value trust, knowing that it needs to be developed over time; that it arises when we do what we say we will do and that; once lost it is very hard to recover. We respect the confidentiality of our clients and each other. We trust that the feedback we give and the feedback we get is given in a spirit of support and growth.
We know that humour and healing are connected; that humour is a great equalizer and that with humour, we can build positive relationships. We take time to laugh!
It is by connecting the head and the heart that we are best able to understand one another.
Soonats’ooneh’ s Equity-Oriented Health Care Model brings together Dakelh and Western ways of knowing to ensure cultural safety and humility. Our wrap around services support care coordination, lowering barriers for greater accessibility, and partnerships with community services.
We practice harm reduction when meeting clients where they are at by acknowledging trauma and violence and providing culturally safe care. We educate and advocate for person and family centred care. Soonats’ooneh values Two-Eyed Seeing by bringing Dakelh ways of health and wellness to those we serve.
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Primary Health Care: At its heart, primary health care is about providing comprehensive, accessible, and continuous community-based care that meets the health needs of individuals throughout their life.
Specialty/Specialist Care: Areas of health care focused on a specific area of medicine or specific types of symptoms and conditions.
De-colonizing & Indigenizing: Resisting and undoing political, economic, social and cultural legacies of colonisation and welcoming Indigenous leadership to revitalize and usher in the resurgence of Indigenous ways of being.
Social determinants of health: The non-medical factors that affect health outcomes. They include the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. They also include the broader forces and systems that shape everyday life and conditions.
Teaching: An opportunity to inform students and the community of approaches to health and healing that fosters equity and an Indigenous worldview.
At the centre of the Equity Oriented Health Care Model are the defining principles that shape how we approach our work:
Soonats’ooneh supports research to improve healthcare services in Northern BC and beyond, focusing on culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and equity-oriented care. Research initiatives address issues such as at-risk parents, precarious housing, and substance use. Key achievements include improved access to healthcare, better chronic disease management, enhanced cultural competence, and integrated care models. Quality improvement efforts, guided by the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, focus on efficiency, cultural safety, and team well-being to enhance care and address community health system complexities.
British Columbia Centre for Excellence: STOP HIV/AIDS Program Evaluation (SHAPE) study and SHAPE 2.0
Collective impact Network: Safe Spaces in Healthcare and Advocacy (2022)
Healthy Aging in Women Living with HIV: BC CARMA-CHIWOS COLLABORATION (BCC3)
Pacific AIDS Network Making it Work Project
Pacific AIDS Network Organizational Stigma Assessment Cycle (OSAC) Project
Soonats’ooneh’s Annual Report, presented back to our community at the end of each fiscal year, reflects on our centre’s role in supporting and advocating for our clients as they navigate care and build pathways to wellness. Following the mission, vision and values of our organization, our commitment to our community is to provide culturally safe, trauma and violence responsive care. We invite you to understand the impacts of the lived experiences of those we serve and gain insight into the journey of our organization.
