2024-08-27 15:53:43
Nearly a decade ago, six First Nations communities joined a new network dedicated to the mental health of young people in Canada. This is a university research project with a unique approach to nursing. The model has proven so successful that we now hope to expand it across Canada, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
When the ACCESS Open Minds program came to his home on the Eskasoni Nation in Nova Scotia, Gage Sabatis was confused. After a few years, all his doubts disappeared.
I know it works; “I get it,” explains the thirty-year-old, who has been a mental health worker for six years.
It’s growing so fast that it’s hard for us to keep up with demand and get all young people into the same place. There are too many of us for our local infrastructure. “There’s been a lot of progress in the last five years, it’s moving faster and we’re able to help young people faster,” he explained.
Open in full screen mode
The program has been very successful in the Eskasoni First Nation of Nova Scotia.
Photo: Retrieved from Facebook/ACCESS Open Minds
The ACCESS Open Minds network provides a knowledge-sharing network for models of care for young Canadians and for optimizing mental health practices. Recently, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research invested $1.45 million over five years to enable the network to be developed on a larger scale among the country’s Indigenous populations.
Clifford Ballantyne, who has been involved with the project in the Sturgeon Lake First Nation community in Saskatchewan for many years, is convinced that such a network can bring benefits to Canada’s Aboriginal communities.
It’s important that they stay connected to share their challenges as well as their successes. They can have other perspectives.
Quoted from Clifford Ballantyne, a member of the Sturgeon Lake Aboriginal people
Aboriginal people have more than one way of doing things; every country, he continued, has its own way of developing and moving forward. But sometimes, some communities can inspire other communities to navigate better.
Various initiatives
In the first version of the plan, various plans and initiatives were developed among the participating First Nations, namely Elsie Potog (NB), Eskasoni (NS), Sturgeon Lake (SARS) Kachewan Province), Pvernituk (QC), Aaschihkuwaataauch (Mistisini), QC) and Ulu Haktok (NWT).
Simple activities like hunting, fishing, gardening, crafts and language classes have become opportunities for young people to talk about and look after their own mental health.
There are many causes of mental health problems among young Aboriginal people: loss of connection with their culture, colonization and sometimes a sense of alienation from the land… These are important for well-being, Srividya Iyer, co-founder of the network and professor of psychiatry at McGill University.
Open in full screen mode
Srividya Iyer, co-founder of the network and professor of psychiatry at McGill University (file photo)
Photo: Retrieved from Facebook/ACCESS Open Minds
Gage Sabattis says one of the most effective programs on the Eskasoni Nation in Nova Scotia is hosting workshops to learn how to make homemade lunches.
And as we do that, we also do more. We teach cooking skills to young people, but most importantly, we take those who are isolated from home and place them in a positive social environment. […] It’s a way to connect in a different way and break isolation.
A word from Eskasoni First Nation member Gage Sabattis
These workshops also make it easier to identify and reach those with more serious problems.
When we identify a young person with a growing problem, we notify the clinical team. We can also talk to them after the workshop and direct them to services. He said this is often how we identify those who need more help because they are there for a reason. It opens up channels of communication with young people.
In Saskatchewan’s Sturgeon Lake First Nation, young people took ownership of the project by fully constructing an ACCESS Open Minds site.
We got the job done and even designed a logo that reflected our indigenous knowledge, recalls Clifford Ballantyne. rather than setting up a committee [de direction]We have set up a benefit group for young people which operates in a non-hierarchical way to give those who are feeling unwell the chance to access peer support.
In the Uruktok First Nation of the Northwest Territories, a young man and an elderly man have been designated as community sentinels. Their training includes recognizing the first signs of mental illness, knowing what to do when a young person needs help, active listening, problem-solving and accompanying peers to professional resources.
Involving young people in program design and service delivery is one of the key elements of Srividya Iyer’s model, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Youth, Mental Health and Health Systems Learners.
The measures vary from community to community, but the basic principle is the same: we must involve young people and people from the community in the design of services. Dr Iyer said if we don’t do this, we will create services that are not adapted to demand.
Tailor-made approach
The models of care proposed by the six communities were based on unique, culturally adapted approaches.
In Aboriginal contexts, we must place greater emphasis on resilience, strengths and values. It’s a different approach that focuses on culture and identity. Dr Iyer explained that these are very important elements for young Aboriginal people, who have a strong sense of belonging to their community.
The goal is not to strictly treat the problems and symptoms of mental illness. Prevention is also at the heart of the approach.
We have a more holistic approach that combines typical Western approaches such as therapy and assessment with approaches based on more traditional and spiritual practices that appeal to young Aboriginal identities.
Quotes Srividya Iyer, co-founder of the network and professor of psychiatry at McGill University
Therefore, young people can either follow traditional treatments or take courses focused on hunting or fishing.
Young people have access to both types of services. Dr. Iyer said this is the vision of the network.
For the remainder of the project, she will collaborate with Dr. Christopher Mushquash, a professor of psychology at Lakehead University in Ontario. He is of Anishinabe origin and also holds the Canada Research Chair in Aboriginal Mental Health and Addictions.
Open in full screen mode
ACCESS Open Minds Aboriginal Council will play an important role in expanding the network.
Photo: Retrieved from Facebook/ACCESS Open Minds
ACCESS The Aboriginal Council for Open Minds will play an important role in expanding the network, along with the many partners and organizations already associated with the project. The active participation of Aboriginal communities, seniors and youth is also crucial.
Wherever the program is implemented, the foundation is the same: rapid access to services, promoting mental health services and creating a welcoming space for young people.
Another priority is strengthening local care capacity by recruiting future health professionals in the community or simply helping young people grow online.
Clifford Ballantyne and Gage Sabattis did just that, working in various roles in local offices over the years and developing valuable mental health skills.
Gage Sabattis said demystifying mental health will be one of the network’s greatest contributions to Indigenous communities.
He said it was important to discuss the issue openly to break down prejudices and gain better understanding. By tackling this issue together, we can help communities break down the barriers that prevent young people from seeking help.
1724820969
#Establishing #national #Aboriginal #youth #mental #health #network
