News release

Funding for Recruitment of Healthcare Workers to support Acadian, Francophone Nova Scotians

Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment
OHPR Community Fund
health workforce
Action for Health

Réseau Santé – Nouvelle-Écosse, which works to ensure Acadian and francophone Nova Scotians receive safe, reliable healthcare, is getting funding from the Province to help attract and recruit bilingual mental health professionals.

The group will develop a website in French and English to attract French-speaking mental healthcare professionals to Nova Scotia. The site will include testimonials from French-speaking healthcare professionals, answer questions about moving to Nova Scotia and promote the benefits of living and working here.

“Nova Scotia’s Acadian and francophone communities have stressed the importance of access to mental health supports,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “This work will help more francophone Nova Scotians get the help they need, in the language they’re most comfortable with.”

The funding is from the government’s new Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund. A total of 28 groups across Nova Scotia applied by the December 19 deadline, and more successful applicants will be notified in the coming weeks.

The fund, worth $2 million in total, is among the recruitment and retention initiatives outlined in Action for Health, the Province’s plan to improve healthcare.

Quotes:

“In mental health, language has a crucial impact on accessibility, quality and safety of care. This project is at the heart of a multi-partner strategy to attract new bilingual mental health professionals to Nova Scotia. The project will not only help fill vacant positions but also increase the availability of French-language health services for the Acadian and francophone community.”

– Blair Boudreau, President, Réseau Santé – Nouvelle-Écosse

Quick Facts:

  • there are more than 30,000 Acadian or francophone Nova Scotians
  • Réseau Santé – Nouvelle-Écosse will receive $73,000 for this project
  • organizations across the province could apply for up to $100,000 from the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund
  • to be eligible, community organizations had to be a registered society, association, non-profit or charity; municipalities and chambers of commerce were also eligible
  • two funding streams were available: community identified projects and community readiness supports; groups could request funding from one or both

Additional Resources:

Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund: https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-funding-recruit-and-retain-healthcare-professionals-ohpr-community-fund

Action for Health: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/

Mandate letter of the Minister of Health and Wellness and Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf