Transcript
(Fade in to Simplifying the Journey logo)
(Transition to time lapse footage of the main entrance foyer at CHEO that reads, "Syrians arrive" - narrator speaking)
In the early months of 2016,
as ever more Syrian refugees arrived in the nation's capital,
(Transition to a woman walking up to an information desk and stepping on a purple CHEO mat)
the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
(Transition to a shot of a family, two parents and three young girls, holding hands and walking across a soccer field that reads, "Develop a program")
worked with community settlement agencies
to develop a newcomer navigator program.
(Transition to head and shoulder shot of Suelana Taha - Suelana speaking)
My name is Suelana Taha.
I am the Newcomer Navigator at CHEO.
(Transition to a shot of a doctor handing a boy a small piece of paper as he sits on his father's knee that reads, "Newcomer Navigator" - narrator speaking)
The newcomer navigator program at CHEO continues as a work in progress,
assisting immigrants and refugees,
(Transition to a shot of CHEO workers counseling two parents that reads, "Building connections")
building connections between the hospital,
the Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre
and community physicians and services.
(Transition to head and shoulder shot of Suelana Taha - Suelana speaking)
The next step was teaching our staff where these families are coming from,
and what these families have endured.
And also helping them understand the culture.
Once they start understanding the culture,
understanding why
the father would not give eye contact with the nurse,
understanding why
the patient never answered the question,
it was only their mother or their father.
Understanding those specific cultures
helps staff understand the families better.
(Transition to photo of Abdel Raouf Salloum and Amani Al Kesh smiling)
Abdel Raouf Salloum and his wife Amani Al Kesh
(Transition to close up photo of Ghina smiling and resting her chin on her fists)
brought their three daughters,
(Transition to close up photo of Mona)
Ghina, Mona and Maria,
from Damascus through Lebanon to Ottawa.
(Transition to photo of Ghina, Mona and Maria in their backyard in Ottawa with a Canadian flag in the background)
(Transition to photo of Ghina, Mona and Maria resting their chins on their fists)
Maria had plastic surgery to her hand not long after arriving.
The CHEO Newcomer Navigator helped the family, initially with interpretation services.
(Transition to Maria of holding up a "Good Work" award)
(Transition to Gina holding up an award)
With support from community services,
(Transition to Mona holding up an award that says "Terrific Kids")
the family now speaks English very well.
(Transition to the family eating Syrian food around a dining table)
They have started a Syrian food catering business.
(Transition to a photo of Abdel and Amani's family. The three daughters are looking at their parents and smiling)
And they have just welcomed a new baby to the family.
(Transition to head and shoulder shot of Shirley Roddick, Manager of Emergency Department at CHEO - Shirley speaking)
The feedback that we received from the staff was just overwhelming,
that they felt supported,
the families felt supported.
It's a challenge
on a daily basis to get
families and children's care coordinated to go home.
So for a family that doesn't speak English,
that is not from this country
that is experiencing all sorts of cultural
challenges in Canada,
the role was instrumental I would say in being successful.
(Transition to photo of Mbwile and Rose sitting together)
Mbwile Alibaba and Rose had their first child, Furaha Angel,
(Transition to close up photo of Mbwile and Rose's daughter)
(Transition to photo of six of their children)
while still in Congo before the family escaped to a refugee camp in Uganda in 2004.
(Transition to a succession of profile photos of their children)
They lived in that camp, for the next 12 years.
Their next six children, Kazadin Jan Jack,
Safi Nahimana,
Donatien Muhindo,
Rebecka,
Dina and Niyomugabo
were born in Uganda.
(Transition to a photo of baby Denice wrapped in a blanket)
Their new baby, Denice, was just born here in Canada.
(Transition to photo of Mbiwle and Rose and their children)
The family was granted refugee status and brought to Canada in 2016.
All eight children have needed health care.
(Transition to Rose, her baby and son sitting in a CHEO doctor's office)
The main role of the CHEO navigator
was to provide interpretation services in Swahili.
(Transition to head and shoulder shot of Suelana Taha - Suelana speaking)
Right now we have a sheet in the Emergency Department to help us flag newcomers
who come in, so we can contact them and follow up with them.
See if they do have a settlement worker, if they do require immunization,
if they do need a family doctor,
or if they have any questions that came up on the way home from their Emergency Department visit.
We want to be able to help
every newcomer that comes through our door.
To help them integrate into our health-care system,
and help them understand and feel comfortable in CHEO.
The worst thing to think of
is a newcomer comes to CHEO
and they don't understand anything.
They don't understand that there's a navigator available for them,
to be able to understand that social work is there,
for them to feel that
they're coming through our doors and everyone is transparent.
Transparency is very important at CHEO.
And with the Navigator Program that's what we want.
We want to provide transparency with every single newcomer.
Not just Syrian,
not just from Congo, not just Somalia,
and any other country that we're seeing.
We want to be able to provide that to everybody who is born outside of Canada.
(Transition to a father hugging his child - narrator speaking)
(Transition to a father kissing his daughter on the head)
The CHEO Newcomer Navigator was born of necessity,
(Transition to a child playing with books at a table)
(Transition to a smiling girl)
(Transition to a smiling girl playing on a playground)
inspired by the urgent need to assist hundreds of Syrian newcomer children.
(Transition to a boy drawing and colouring at a table)
Since early 2016,
(Transition to a young woman in a white hijab smiling at the camera)
(Transition to a young woman standing in front of a bed of red and white tulips and smiling at the camera)
(Transition to a small boy sitting on hospital bed and smiling)
it has been expanded and refined to help all newcomer families in Ottawa
(Transition to a family holding hands on Parliament Hill)
navigate the pediatric health-care system
(Transition to a family posing for a photo in front of the Canadian Parliament buildings)
as well as to connect with community services.
(Dip to black)
