Jennifer Robinson
As Health Actions Leader for VCH Aboriginal Health Strategic Initiatives, Jennifer will continue to facilitate partnerships with First Nations and Aboriginal communities throughout VCH to ensure active participation in developing innovative solutions to local health service delivery issues. She will provide leadership internally with VCH staff in each of the communities of care by acting as a strategic planning resource to the VCH planning teams, and project managers in developing a consultative and collaborative approach required in Aboriginal health planning, and to the directors and executive directors of the networks in developing, implementing, and monitoring Aboriginal health services. Jennifer will also provide strategic leadership in further developing the VCH relationship with the First Nations Health Authority through working with their representatives on identified priority or health action areas, including, Health Human Resources, Integrated Primary and Community Care (IPCC), Public Health, Mental Health and Wellness, Maternal and Child Health.
About Jennifer
Jennifer Robinson is an Algonquin woman from Timiskaming First Nation in Quebec. Jennifer’s work in First Nations communities and government over the past 15 years has inspired her interest in public health in the areas of mental health and addictions, chronic disease management, and maternal child health. Most recently, she has worked closely with the National Native Addiction and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) treatment center directors and community NNADAP workers to identify mental health and addictions service barriers and helped to integrate telemedicine to address some of the access to addictions treatment challenges. She has delivered training nationally and internationally in the areas of prescription drug abuse prevention and intervention, chronic disease management, and First Nations education. Jennifer was awarded the Deputy Minister Award in 2009 and the Public Service Award of Canada in 2010 for the contribution to the improvement in lives of Canadians for her leadership role in the Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy. Jennifer received her bachelor’s of Arts with honors in French from the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College at the University of Regina, in Saskatchewan and is currently a Masters in Public Health Candidate at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Jennifer has a four year old daughter Sophianne Kijate and a 2 year old son Luca Kijigate. Their Algonquin names signify the heat from the sun and light from the moon respectively. Jennifer enjoys playing an active role in her community by volunteering as a hockey coach.