The First Mile

Supported by the SSHRC-funded First Nations Innovation Project

Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telemedicine (KOTM), operated under the Northern Chiefs Tribal Council in northwestern Ontario, is a success story of a community-led and community-driven telehealth initiative. KOTM offers a wide array of services, of which telemental health is one.

KOTM has used videoconferencing for telepsychiatry since 2002, and was involved in a ground-breaking telepsychiatry project in 2001. KOTM’s telepsychiatry system offers (but is not limited to) the following services:

Follow-ups and reassessments Counseling Education for clients and professionals Human resources Case management Visitation by videoconference for patient’s families Elder’s visits through videoconferencing

All of these activities have the potential of contributing to mental health, community wellness, and community engagement. Fort Severn, the most northern community in Ontario and one of the KO communities, has been actively involved in KOTM from the very beginning!

KOTM works with communities

KOTM listens to what the communities want and need for services. One way in which to help the communities decide is to offer a wide range of mental health education sessions to keep them informed. Individuals are directly involved in community engagement and presentations are made to the Elders at the monthly Elders meetings.

KO Telemedicine’s objective is to improve the health for all First Nations communities through a sustainable First Nations telemedicine program that is holistic, community-driven and culturally appropriate. Through KOTM’s alliance with other technical programs such as K-Net (KO’s network, servicing all of the northern communities in the Sioux Lookout Zone area) and Ontario Telehealth Network , they can offer these collaborative resources to service providers anywhere.

K-Net's Cal Kenny produced a 17 minute documentary about the development of KO Telehealth.

To see a comprehensive 2005 report on the development and structure of KO Telehealth, see the KO Telehealth Operations & Management website or click on the picture below.

Click on the videos below to see them on K-Net's video portal site!

The Communities, the People	Community Telehealth Coordinators	Technology & Clinicians

To learn more about the services offered by KOTM and how KOTM works with communities to promote wellness, visit telemedicine.knet.ca/.