Prevention Programs (7)
HEAL NS has an on-going partnership with the STI Care Now Initiative. This initiative offers a free, convenient, and confidential option for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV and linkage to care in Nova Scotia. With this initiative, you can:
- Order a Free At-Home Testing Kit: Complete a secure online form to request a kit delivered right to your home, or address of choice. Tests can also be picked up at the HEAL NS office, just remember to bring your health card with you!
- Speak to their team of pharmacists and social workers for a PrEP assessment, or for support around prevention, testing, or treatment.
- Test Privately and Easily: Follow simple instructions to collect your specimen.
- Get Results and Support: Receive your results and, if needed, access virtual assessment, prescriptions, or in-person care.
This service is designed to reduce barriers to STI testing and care, helping you take control of your sexual health with ease and privacy.
Website to access: The STI Care Now Initiative | Nova Scotia Health
Direct Access to the webform: Ocean
HEAL NS is planning our upcoming HIV, Health & Healing Forum (tentative title) —a weekend-long gathering for 15–25 people living with HIV (PLWH), taking place in early March 2026.
This intimate event will include speaker presentations, conversation circles, creative projects, and mindfulness activities, with a focus on HIV prevention, and other key topics identified through an upcoming needs assessment. It will also help lay the groundwork for a larger Knowledge Exchange Forum later in 2026, where PLWH, community support workers, and healthcare professionals will come together to learn from one another and explore ways to better support people living with HIV.
Keep an eye on this page, or our social media, for updates!
HEAL NS offers free online training to frontline and community-based service providers or staff in Nova Scotia. This training is facilitated by Shannon Hardy (MSW, RSW), content specialist in Trauma-Informed practices.
We offer two different levels of this training, each twice a year. The first is the basics course. This training gives a foundational understanding of trauma-informed care and approaches, strengthening participants' capacity to provide culturally safe and stigma-free services to vulnerable populations. The second is trauma informed care at the organizational level. In these sessions we cover designing trauma-informed forms and procedures, implementing trauma-informed leadership practices and cultivating a trauma-informed organizational culture.
Keep an eye on our social media for when new offerings are launched or contact Program Coordinator Hanley Smith to be added to the waitlist.
HEAL NS’ Check Me Out website and awareness campaign encourages community members to think about their sexual health practices.
Check Me Out offers a tool to create a customized checklist that recommends STI tests, vaccines, and sexual health related exams. This tool is complemented by informational website sections around topics that are written from a Nova Scotian perspective. This checklist has been developed by our staff with input from community partners, doctors, and local healthcare providers. While the checklist has been built primarily for 2S/LGBTQIA+ people living in Nova Scotia, it can be used by anyone aged 18 and up.
Totally Outright is a leadership program that brings together people living in Nova Scotia to learn about and discuss sexual and mental health. It takes participants through a set of workshops, talks, facilitated discussions, and projects to explore their own relationships to these topics, increase their knowledge of HIV, HCV, and other STIs and STBBIs as well as harm reduction and safer sex practices. The programming also teaches skills for participants to become sexual health leaders in their own communities and work. Totally OutRight is a free program (including lodging, food, and cost of travel to Halifax for the week).
In the past, HEAL NS has offered a version of this program for people who identify as queer men, as well a version for trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse communities.
Our next offering will be for people identifying as queer men in the spring of 2026! Keep an eye on this page for applications opening this winter.
We are also preparing to offer our first Totally Outright for BIPOC communities - also in spring of 2026, and we can’t wait to share more soon!
Totally Outright is made possible in Nova Scotia (for queer men, as well a version for trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse folk) through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The views expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views of PHAC.
Totally Outright for BIPOC communities is made possible by a grant from the Nova Scotia Office of Equity and Anti-Racism (Community Network Grant).
HEAL NS offers a wide variety of programs and services targeted to our diverse communities. You’ll find everything from knowledge sharing and prevention techniques, to workshops, support and programs for individuals, community groups and health professionals.
HEAL NS also is bringing back our yearly knowledge exchange forum (look for it in 2025) where the latest information and emerging issues are discussed. The Forum engages PLHAs, people living with HCV co-infection, representatives from community-based HIV/AIDS organizations and broader sexual health organizations, health professionals, and those with a stake in the future of HIV-STBBI work in Nova Scotia.
Learn more about all of our programs at the links below.
Community Groups and Health Professionals
Written by Joomla! AdministratorPart of our work is to provide community groups and health care professionals with information sessions, training, and resources. We offer several workshops and programs, on various topics, that can be scheduled upon request, and we are also able provide direction and support to organizations who are looking create supportive policy and practices around HIV, HCV & STIs.
For more information on workshops, resources, trainings and support, contact our Programs Staff.