SUPPORT & EDUCATION FOR HIV, HEPATITIS & STIs

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Tuesday, 03 December 2024 17:51

Jordan Upshaw

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Bio to come...

Tuesday, 03 December 2024 17:50

Greg King

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Bio to come...

Tuesday, 03 December 2024 17:49

Dave Miller

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Bio to come...

Friday, 27 September 2024 15:14

Jamie Stewart

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Jamie (He/Him) has joined HEAL NS as the Fund Development & Marketing Intern for the fall.

He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program with a focus on marketing. With a rich background in event security and management, along with experience in digital marketing and design, he brings a unique perspective to his role.

Passionate about fostering inclusive and safe environments, Jamie is dedicated to carrying this commitment into all his future endeavors. As a corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, he understands the importance of community engagement in every aspect of his work.

Outside of work he is an avid sports fan cheering for teams like Baltimore Ravens and Washington Capitals. You can also catch him often playing video games such as Overwatch.

Wednesday, 21 August 2024 17:30

Chana Wielinga

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Chana (They/Them) is the HIV+ Support Coordinator at HEAL NS.

They hold a Bachelor of Social Work and a BA with a specialization in counselling. With over five years of experience in social services, Chana's work has spanned front-line support, policy development, and research, focusing on improving health outcomes and advocating for 2SLGBTQ+ communities, among others. Passionate about fostering inclusive care, Chana is eager to bring their diverse expertise and compassionate approach to HEAL NS, ensuring that all individuals receive the support they deserve.

Outside of work, Chana appreciates creative hobbies, such as theatre, crafting, and D&D. At home, they share their space with four cats, who provide endless cuddles... and cat hair!

Monday, 22 January 2024 11:39

Ashley Martell

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Ashley (She/Her) was born and raised in Halifax, however spent half her adult life living on the West coast, before moving back East. She attended St. Francis Xavier University, graduating with an Arts degree in 2007. Ashley has spent the past 10+ years working across a variety of leadership roles within TD Bank. In her current position,  Assistant Market Manager – TD Private Wealth Management, she leads a team of Private Bankers across Atlantic Canada. Ashley is deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within TD and the broader community – As Chair of TD's 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group in Atlantic, and as a member of the Wealth Forever Proud core committee, Ashley actively advocates for equality and representation. In her spare time, Ashley can be found skiing, cycling, running or enjoying the great outdoors with her wife and their two dogs. 

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 14:28

Olivia Kerr

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Olivia (They/Them) is a Health and Wellness Coordinator at ACNS.

Olivia is a non-binary, queer, and white person with a background in non-profits, community health initiatives, scientific research, and youth programming. They have a BSc from Dalhousie University where they studied Biochemistry and Neuroscience and obtained a certificate in Data Analytics. Olivia is passionate about building joyful and inclusive queer community and dismantling health inequities to create safer and more accessible care for Nova Scotians.

In their free time, Olivia loves to cook, enjoy the ocean and lakes around Nova Scotia, and cuddle their cats and dog.

Friday, 17 June 2022 10:49

Hanley Smith

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Hanley (They/Them) is a Program Coordinator at HEAL NS / ACNS

Hanley is a non-binary activist and community leader who has developed and implemented numerous queer youth and queer health-focused programs. Their award-winning contributions reflect years of volunteer service and professional experience, showcasing their passion for advocacy. With a strong interest in sexual health information and the evolving nature of prevention work, especially in relation to mental health, Hanley has collaborated with researchers to integrate trauma-informed practices into various initiatives and expand knowledge in these areas. As a musician and disabled artist themselves, Hanley has enjoyed being able to support the success of disabled artists within the community. Their work extends to other projects that intersect with their areas of expertise and interest.     

Outside of their non-profit work, Hanley is an avid fan of Dungeons & Dragons, with a special love for dice – their collection bag is larger than their head! They have been part of a home game that has lasted over four years and are always excited to share their enthusiasm for the game.

Wednesday, 23 March 2022 14:57

Community Consultations

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ACNS was overdue for a refresh...

Consultations Completed!

Thanks to all who participated in our Community Consultations, and supported our planned changes at the Annual General Meeeting special resolution vote...

Watch out for our rebranding launch to come in Spring 2024!

- - - 

 

FROM FALL 2022 - SUMMER 2023 ...


If you would like to be part of the ACNS community consultation process, please email Chris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and put “Community Consultation” in the subject line. We will email the Zoom consultation details to all who expressed interest. 

The proposal that ACNS will be seeking feedback on is:

“to expand our mandate to address broader sexual health, mental health and substance use issues – and to do so for all 2SLGBTQIA+ Nova Scotians”. This is the possible future that we wish to work towards. This is the proposal we now wish to present to our existing clients and HIV priority populations, as well as to the broader 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Nova Scotia.

First off, we want to be clear that we are not planning on giving up any of the HIV support and prevention programs and services we currently offer. ACNS will continue to address HIV issues for all impacted populations in Nova Scotia. However, to survive (or even thrive!) to be able to offer those HIV-specific services we need a broader foundation. Also, we’ve long been aware of the obvious overlaps and synergies between HIV work and broader 2SLGBTQIA+ health work.

HIV-specific funding – at both the provincial and federal level – continues to shrink each and every year!  In addition, fund-raising for all charities has continued to get more and more challenging as the fundraising landscape gets increasingly crowded and competitive (and that was before COVID-19).

Back in 2018-2019 the ACNS staff and Board of Directors had gone through a detailed strategic planning process to assess the direction of the organization in both the short-and-long-term.  We looked at the work we have been doing, the work we want to be doing, the challenges and opportunities that new developments in HIV treatment and prevention have presented, and we especially looked at the challenges and opportunities that changes in funding for programs have presented.

Out of that strategic planning process, new ideas and directions emerged that we need to discuss with our clients, and the populations we already serve... and the populations we may be adding to our service!

To finalize this process we were planning on doing consultations across Nova Scotia in the spring of 2020.  COVID-19 interrupted that process. This spring we're back on track - offering Zoom consultation sessions. If Zoom does not work for you, let us know and we'll make alternative arrangements.

ACNS wants to hear your thoughts and input on our proposal, and we’re hoping to have in-depth discussions about how we can best serve our communities moving forward. Our community consultations will include an HIV+ client focus groups, and broader 2SLGBTQIA+ consultations. 

If you would like to be part of this consultation process, please email Chris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and put “Community Consultation” in the subject line.

Thanks!

 

Wednesday, 19 January 2022 13:59

Jordan Parker

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Jordan Parker (He/Him) is the Fund Development & Communications Manager at HEAL NS / ACNS. He has a Masters in Investigative Journalism from the University of King's College, and an Advanced Diploma in PR from NSCC Ivany campus.

A freelance journalist and owner of arts and entertainment firm Parker PR, Jordan is an award-winning writer and communicator. He works part-time doing event planning, and has worked on events including the Halifax Comedy Festival and the Halifax Buskers. He has a passion for non-profit and helping the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

He's a huge movie fan and owns 2,500 DVDs and BluRays. During the NHL season, you can usually catch Jordan rooting on his Toronto Maple Leafs. 

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