About Us

We began with a community readiness approach to learn where people were at in each community when it comes to addressing sexual health and STBBI prevention and treatment. Through our work together on DRUM, we have learned there is promise in our approach, and opportunity to expand our work.

The DRUM & SASH project is a CIHR funded study which aims to develop, implement and evaluate shared care models to increase care and prevention of HIV, Hepatitis C, other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) and related mental health issues in Indigenous communities in Alberta.

Shared care models are agreements between communities (often rural) and clinics (often urban) to manage the care of individuals in community.

DRUM & SASH is partnered with Tallcree, Driftpile, and Sucker Creek communities in the north, Stoney Nation and Blood Tribe in the south, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta through Shining Mountains Living Community Services.

DRUM & SASH builds off of the work done with the three northern communities in DRUM 1 (Development of a Rural Model for HIV/HCV/STBBIs), and previously, the ACRA project (Aboriginal Community Youth Resilience to HIV and AIDS AND OTHER BBIs), which represents over 10 years of work related to HIV.

The team members include researchers and knowledge users from CAAN (Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network), The University of Victoria, and the University of Saskatchewan.

Our Goals

Goal 1: SCM Model Scale-Up and Adaptation: Improve HIV/STBBI prevention, testing and care in First Nation and Métis communities by expanding and adapting the DRUM integrated shared care model development process to other culturally distinct First Nation and Métis communities in Alberta.

Goal 2: Capacity Strengthening: Continue strengthening capacity for all team members, using a co-learning format, grounded in Indigenous, context-based knowledge, guided by Elders Council, with training / research opportunity for students, trainees and New Investigators.

Goal 3: Implementation Assessment and Co-Learning: Assess the implementation of the shared care models within the DRUM 1 and 2 communities, and provide a space for communities to share their learning/experiences with other communities. Integrate this learning with perspectives/knowledge from experiences of communities in other regions that have implemented other versions of shared care models.

Goal 4: Knowledge Sharing – Creating an Online Resource: Using the knowledge gained from community experiences implementing shared care models, the DRUM 2 team will create online resources for other First Nation and Métis communities so that they have this information if they choose to adapt and implement their own shared care models.

What has DRUM & SASH Done this Year?

DRUM & SASH had a kick-off meeting in Edmonton in June 2018. Community leaders from the DRUM 1 project presented on their experience with the project. The project’s Elders’ Advisory Circle met for the first time. Dr. John Kim from the Public Health Agency of Canada provided training on dried blood spot testing for HIV.

The project hired graduate student Danielle Atkinson (Métis) as a research assistant and PhD graduate, Rachel Landy as a postdoctoral researcher, Kandace Ogilvie (Métis) as the Métis DRUM & SASH Coordinator and Alana Wahpooseywan (First Nation) as the Stoney Nation’s Coordinator.

Communities met in April 2019 to receive community readiness training. Communities are completing community readiness assessments on HIV in their home communities, with support from the DRUM & SASH Project

In May 2019 the DRUM & SASH Project partnered with the Canadian Public Health Association to provide a Stigma Train-the-Trainer Workshop in Edmonton. This provided members with training to be able to provide their own workshops on stigma.

Project team members are receiving additional online training through CATIE on HIV 101 and Hepatitis C.

Community members from Driftpile presented on their work with the DRUM & SASH project at the Canadian Association for HIV Research 2019 Annual Conference in Saskatoon.

DRUM & SASH is working with the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) through Shining Mountains Living Community Services to develop a Métis-specific cultural response to HIV and STBBIs.

Working with communities, organizations and governments to identify overlaps, gaps and opportunities to partner.

Our team will continue our work with communities of different Indigenous cultures and in different regions, supporting each other as we improve HIV, Hep C and other STBBI prevention and care services within a shared care model for First Nation and Métis communities.