A new community health clinic that will deliver primary health care services to African Nova Scotians, is set to open this Wednesday, and will be the first of its kind in the area.
The Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Nova Scotia Sisterhood Initiative are officially opening their fifth location in Dartmouth North, adding to their other locations in Halifax, East Preston, and Upper Hammonds Plains.
Representatives from the Nova Scotia Sisterhood say the goal is bridge gaps and build trust within the Black community.
“We saw that there was a need for a Black initiative in health care, because we saw folks weren’t accessing services,” says Ashley Preston, the community liaison for the Nova Scotia Sisterhood.
“It’s an accessible space. People feel comfortable here. They feel welcome.”
She says there were a lot of “race related barriers” in accessing and receiving services.
“One of those barriers is not being able to get to these clinics, not being able to travel,” says Preston. “So, bringing the clinic to the community, you have more of a sense of belonging.”
The clinic will be located inside The North Grove, a family resource centre located on 6 Primrose Street.
The North Grove has been operating since 1994, and has allowed the Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Sisterhood to use their space in previous years to offer other programs.
The hub services manager at The North Grove, Caralee McDaniel, says anger management sessions, salon and barber talks used to be held at the site, but now she hopes bringing in health care services will attract more people in the Black community.
“We know particularly that folks in the African Nova Scotian community have not had access to culturally appropriate care traditionally,” says McDaniel.
“So that specifically is very important to us.”
Through this new initiative, patients will be able to see a medical doctor, wellness navigator and clinical therapist.
The clinics will open once a month and will operate by appointment only.
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