First Nations Health Authority
A client needs to have a community addictions worker or outpatient clinic worker to act as a referral partner and to complete the Subsidy Application for Inpatient Addiction Treatment.
Referrals will not be accepted directly from treatment centre staff referring to their own centre. This is to ensure that the client is receiving the appropriate services they need prior to treatment, and that after-treatment plans are followed up with.
If a client needs assistance in finding a counsellor or addiction worker, please contact FNHA’s Mental Health and Wellness team at 1-855-693-3033 or email nonfnhafundedtc@fnha.ca.
FNHA-funded treatment centres will be considered the first and primary option for addiction treatment. All First Nations clients are eligible for treatment at all FNHA-funded treatment centres at no cost. Simply contact the treatment centres listed in the FNHA Funded Treatment Centres Network to see if they are able to take in the client.
Provincially-funded treatment beds will be considered as the next option for addiction treatment if an FNHA-funded treatment centre bed is not available. The Province of BC (Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction) is responsible for all per diem payments in licensed and/or registered treatment facilities off-reserve for individuals who are eligible for income assistance. First Nations are eligible to access provincially-funded addictions treatment facilities and programs on the same basis as other British Columbians.
In the event that FNHA-funded treatment centres or the NNADAP Treatment Centre Network outside of BC are unable to support your client appropriately, an exception can be made for funding at a non-FNHA funded treatment centre.
Any treatment centre funded through a subsidy application for inpatient addiction treatment must be licensed under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act or registered with the Assisted Living Registrar. A $40 per day subsidy is available for a maximum of 90 days. FNHA accepts no responsibility for treatment not given prior approval.
Certain requirements must be met before funding can be approved for a non-FNHA funded treatment centre. Failure to complete the pre-requisites will result in a delay or possibly a denial of the client’s application. The following requirements must be met:
When those requirements are met, the client can be considered on an exception basis if they:
If all requirements are met, the referral partner can complete a Subsidy Application for Inpatient Addictions Treatment.
With the exception of a client attending treatment on-reserve, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction is responsible for funding residents of British Columbia who are eligible for income assistance, to attend homes registered through the Assisted Living Registry and facilities licensed under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act by regional health authorities.
We ask that referral partners support clients to apply for provincial income assistance first as First Nations clients living in British Columbia are also residents of the province. FNHA will only be able to fund clients who are ineligible for social assistance from the Ministry.
Typically, a client is eligible for social assistance if the client:
For more information on how to apply for social assistance, please visit the ministry website
Please note that:
Individuals who receive Income Assistance on-reserve and whose housing requires them to remain on Band Income Assistance will not be required to apply for income assistance through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
Individuals applying for a subsidy who are receiving Employment Insurance will not be required to apply to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction for income assistance due to pay back requirements.
If a client is living on-reserve and is deemed eligible for provincial income assistance, the Ministry will fund their treatment if it is off-reserve and treatment takes place at a home registered through the Assisted Living Registry or facility licensed under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act by regional health authorities.
Please contact us at nonfnhafundedtc@fnha.ca if you encounter any challenges with the Ministry application process.
Clients are eligible for FNHA Health Benefits if they have First Nations status and are currently enrolled in British Columbia’s Medical Services Plan (MSP).
Clients from outside BC are eligible for FNHA Health Benefits if they have First Nations status and have been living in BC for more than 3 months.
For further questions or to check the status of the client’s eligibility, please contact FNHA Health Benefits at 1-800-317-7878.
The FNHA funded Treatment Centre Network refers to a group of residential treatment centres with a number of beds funded by FNHA and Indigenous Services Canada. These treatment centres have funded beds available to First Nations clients regardless of their status, and are considered the first choice for treatment.
FNHA expects all referral partners to check with the FNHA funded Treatment Centre Network in BC before making a subsidy application. A list of these treatment centres and information about their services can be found on the FNHA website.
FNHA Medical Transportation is able to cover travel costs for a client going into treatment. Please call FNHA Health Benefits line at 1-800-317-7878 to apply.
FNHA will only fund clients seeking treatment at a licensed or registered treatment centre that accepts FNHA’s standard $40 per diem rate for a maximum of 90 days, totaling $3,600 per fiscal year.
If the client is from British Columbia but is currently a resident of a different province, please contact the provincial health authority in the client’s province of residence, or Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) for funding assistance. More information about ISC can be found on their website.
Funding approvals are valid three months after the approval date. A client may attend treatment any time before that.
The most common reason applications are put on hold is due to pre-requisites not being met. Please refer back to your recommendation letter to see what steps are needed before the application can receive a second review. For a further explanation, please contact us at nonfnhafundedtc@fnha.ca.
The most common reason for applications not being approved is that the client did not receive prior approval for funding before entering into treatment or the pre-requisites were not met. FNHA is not responsible for funding treatment that did not receive prior approval.
You will need to request an extension. Please email nonfnhafundedtc@fnha.ca for all extension requests. Extension requests must include a rationale from the treatment centre detailing why an extension is recommended.
FNHA will pay the treatment centre directly and all invoices should be sent directly to FNHA. FNHA will only pay the amount agreed upon in the approval letters sent to both the referral partner and the treatment centre.
FNHA is not responsible for payment of treatment centre fees for referrals that did not receive prior approval.