Meet the Team: Mînî Thnî Crisis Support

Crisis Team Builds on Personal Experiences and Understanding to Support Community

The Mînî Thnî Crisis Team combines current and traditional 24-hour comprehensive crisis and rapid outreach services for the Morley community. 

Working alongside other Stoney Health departments and local first responders, the RCMP, the Stoney School Authority, Stoney Nakoda Child and Family services to provide mobile interventions, immediate safety and short-term support for individuals/families faced with challenging circumstances, such as family violence, grief and substance use. The MTCT support team has the knowledge and skills required to effectively assist individuals, families and community members impacted and affected. 

Alanna Kaquitts

Alanna Kaquitts, Community Outreach Liaison

Family is everything to Alanna Kaquitts as the oldest of six siblings and herself blessed with two beautiful children. She is all about SELF CARE and cites TV binge watching, blasting music in her car, travelling, exploring and adventure as her main ways to unwind.

She's held a number of administrative roles, including most recently with the Eagles Nest Stoney Family Shelter and Hobbema Dental and completed certificates as a health care aid and medical office assistant.

She's so excited to continue in her role as community outreach liaison where she'll combine her administrative and organizations skills with her love of meeting, connecting and working with people. She notes with pride how much she's grown professionally and personally in her role and is looking forward to what's next.

Shylance Twoyoungmen

Shylance Twoyoungmen, Community Support/MTCS Mobile Worker

Pride in family is a shared theme across the Crisis team. Sharing her home with her partner and stepson, Shylance Twoyoungmen (prefers Shy) comes from a large family who tragically lost a brother recently due to illness. She is also a proud member of the two-spirit family in the community and is fluent in Stoney.

Maintaining an active lifestyle appeals to Shy. Getting outdoors, hunting, fishing and hiking - all top her list of hobbies. She also attributes sports and physical fitness to her determination, discipline and patience.

She's most excited about 'the mental and emotional challenges' of her role. Adding, "Being able to help my community and give support to the Nation. It's not enough to simply say 'I'm a great fit for the role,' I also see an opportunity to learn and grow these skills."

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Tara Glass, Victims Services Liaison

Tara Glass is the oldest of four kids and was the first in her family to move to Calgary. She's a mom to an energetic kid who fills up most of her free time outside of work. You can usually find them at park or hockey rink, exploring the mountains, swinging clubs at the driving range, or finding a camping spot near a beach where they can swim or paddleboard.

Tara is a recent graduate of Bow Valley College’s Justice Studies program and hopes to continue her education over the next few years to achieve a Bachelor of Criminal Justice. She's always had a passion to work in a career where she could help others and give back to communities. However, it wasn't until her 30s that she had the opportunity to go back to school and begin her career. She worked for a number of years for a sporting goods retailer before working at the Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino for the past year.

It was the people she met and worked with at the Casino who inspired her to apply for her current role with Stoney Health. She is a mental health, women’s fertility advocate and a trauma survivor. She also loves a good podcast or audio book in her down time. She'd also be the first to volunteer to cook rather than do the dishes and clean up.

Tara was recently asked if she could write a book about her career to date, what would the title be? In her words, "The title that immediately came to my mind is 'Why I Spent Years in the Wrong Career and How it Helped Me Find Myself.'

Meet the Team: Environmental Health

Ensuring a safe, healthy water supply

Jerott Mark and Andrew Kaquitts, Stoney Health Service's environmental health technicians, assess a well spout on a Stoney property.

Environmental health technicians’ Jerott Mark and Andrew Kaquitts joined Stoney Health Services in late 2020 and began a several-months’ long water monitoring project, with funding provided by Environment Canada.

Stoney Health Services is taking drinking water samples from all homes on the reserve, which are then tested to ensure a safe, healthy community water supply. As part of the testing, Jerrot and Andrew also locate, assess and survey the homes’ cistern or well, and the septic field to determine future maintenance requirements.

Both technicians bring years of carpentry experience, a strong understanding of plumbing and water systems and importantly, a love of their community.

When asked what they hope comes from their work, Jerott spoke up, “to see water systems that need to upgraded get done.”

Andrew added, “Good clean, drinking water. I want better drinking water for everyone.” 

The crew expect to complete testing on the Chiniki First Nation (southside of the Trans-Canada Highway) this summer and plan to move  the homes on the centre and northside of the reserve this fall and early winter. Their work doesn’t depend on the weather – they are on the road rain, shine, smoky days or snow (yikes, let’s not mention that yet.)

Find out more about the environmental water monitoring project and check out the photo gallery for a sample of their workday.

Stoney Childcare Centre Reopens

Stoney Childcare Centre Reopens Aug. 4

After closing during COVID, the Stoney First Nation Childcare Centre is reopen for local families starting August 4.

Infants from 3 months to children 5 years of age are welcome to enroll. Space is limited and reserved for parents or caregivers who work or attend school.

Contact Francine Kaquitts, daycare director at 403-808-4169 or francinek@stoney-nation.com.

Well-Baby Drop-In Clinics

Weekly Well-Baby Drop-In Clinics

Join our Well-Baby team on Wednesdays. Chat with a nurse or our family support assistants about you or your baby’s specific needs, get diapers, wipes and other resources and have your baby weighed.

Open to Stoney families with infants to children 5 years of age. 

Wednesdays
12:00 – 3:00 pm
Family Resource Centre, Wesley Lodge

Refreshments are available.

Don’t Wait. Get Tested for Hepatitis. It may save your life.

Hep Can't Wait. Don't Wait to Get Tested.

Did you know? Every 30 seconds someone loses their life to hepatitis – don’t be one of them. Don’t wait. Get tested today. 

World Hepatitis Day is July 28. All week long (July 26-30), Stoney Health Service’s is encouraging the community to get a hepatitis test. It could save your life. We were pleased to see so many people drop in and get tested.

Testing is available year-round at the Stoney Health Centre or the Stoney Health Service’s Trailer during business hours. 

If you think you’ve been exposed, here are five reasons to get tested right away:
1. You can have the disease even if you feel fine.
2. The test is quick and easy.
3. You can protect your family and friends.
4. Treatments can suppress or even wipe out the virus.
5. Early treatment can help you prevent liver cancer or liver failure. Source: 5 Reasons to Get Tested for Hepatitis C, WebMD

Share Traditions. Not the Flu. Get Immunized.

Vaccination Squad Schedule

The Stoney Health Vax Squad is offering daily walk-in vaccinations at the Stoney Health Centre.

Weekdays, except stat holidays
10 am – 3:30 pm
Book an appointment or drop-in

Flu season is upon us again. By keeping the number of influenza cases and outbreaks low, we can help protect ourselves, as well as the more vulnerable populations such as Elders and young children.

We encourage everyone to take action and get the flu shot this year. 

COVID Vaccinations

Children 6 mos and older are eligible to get a COVID vaccine. Vaccines are available at the Stoney Health Centre.

Bivalent COVID Vaccines Now Available

The Moderna Bivalent BA.1 vaccine is available as an additional booster dose option for anyone 18 years of age and older. We encourage everyone to get their influenza immunization and — if they are eligible – a COVID-19 bivalent booster dose at the same time. 

Drop by the Health Centre, weekdays from 10 am – 3:30 pm. 

It is recommended to wait at least five months after last dose, and at least five months after a COVID-19 infection before receiving the Bivalent BA.1 vaccine booster dose. This vaccine triggers a stronger immune response and provides additional protection against both Omicron and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus strain.

Getting vaccinated helps protect yourself, your loved ones, Elders and others in the community.