First Nations and Inuit Mental Wellness Strategic Action Plan Kathy Langlois

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First Nations and Inuit Mental Wellness Strategic
Action PlanKathy Langlois Director General
Community Programs Directorate First Nations and
Inuit Health Branch Health Canada
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Context - Mental Wellness Issues Facing First
Nations and Inuit

• Suicide Rates
• 3-6 times higher in First Nations communities
  compared to non-Aboriginal Canadians
• 11 times higher among Inuit youth
• Addictions
• Higher rates of binge drinking alcohol-related
  hospitalization
• Almost double the number of alcohol-related
  deaths
• Violence
• Rates of domestic violence are up to 5 times
  higher than average on First Nations reserves
• Rates of sexual assault are estimated to be
  triple the Canadian average

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Current FNIHB Mental Health and Addictions
Programming

• National Native Alcohol Drug Abuse Program and
  National Youth Solvent Abuse Program (70M/year)
• Network of 62 treatment centres more than 550
  community based prevention programs more than
  1,000 workers.
• Brighter Futures and Building Healthy Communities
  (89M/year)
• BF supports a range of health promotion and
  illness prevention activities, including
  community-based mental health, child
  development, parenting skills, healthy babies,
  and injury prevention.
• BHC assists First Nations and Inuit communities
  to provide mental health crisis intervention and
  aftercare.

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Current Programming (contd)

• The National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention
  Strategy (15M/year)
• Launched in 2005-06 to reduce risk factors
  and promote protective factors against Aboriginal
  youth suicide.
• The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health
  Support Program (19M/year ramping down)
• Provides mental, emotional, and cultural
  supports to former Indian Residential School
  students and their families.     
• The Mental Health Crisis Counseling benefit
  (14M/year)
• Covers the cost of short-term, professional
  mental health crisis counseling for eligible
  First Nations and Inuit.

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National Anti-Drug Strategy

• Modernize the National Native Alcohol and Drug
  Abuse Program (NNADAP)
• Increase service effectiveness through cultural
  and clinical models (regional needs assessments,
  experts panel, evidence-based program framework,
  accreditation)
• Increase service quality (training,
  certification, recruitment and retention)
• Increase access through innovations in service
  delivery (outreach, outpatient, mobile mental
  wellness teams)

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Kirby Report on Mental Health, Mental Illness and
Addictions

• The Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs,
  Science and Technology (chaired by Senator Kirby)
  was mandated to examine issues concerning mental
  health and mental illness in the Canadian
  population
• Final Report - May 9, 2006
• Recommendations on services for all Aboriginals
  (First Nations/Inuit/Métis)
• Stronger links to Aboriginal perspectives
• Aboriginal Advisory Committee for the Mental
  Health Commission
• Strategy for mental wellness healing
• A dramatic change is needed to ensure that FN
  and Inuit receive an inclusive range of programs
  and services related to health determinants and
  linked to positive outcomes

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The Mental Wellness Advisory Committee (MWAC)

• Mandate Development of a Strategic Action Plan
  to improve the mental wellness outcomes of First
  Nations and Inuit and guide mental wellness
  policy and program development over the next 3-5
  years
• Lead members AFN, ITK, FNIHB
• Key members Federal/Provincial/ Territorial
  networks National Native Addictions Partnership
  Foundation Native Mental Health Association of
  Canada Aboriginal Healing Foundation Canadian
  Mental Health Association Canadian Centre for
  Substance Abuse Centre for Addictions and Mental
  Health Public Health Agency Canada Indian and
  Northern Affairs Canada

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Strategic Action Plan Vision

• First Nations and Inuit embrace the achievement
  of whole health (physical, mental, emotional,
  spiritual, social and economic well-being)
  through a comprehensive and coordinated approach
  that respects, values and utilizes traditional
  and cultural knowledge, methodologies, languages
  and ways of knowing.

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Strategic Action Plan 5 Goals

• Ensure a Continuum of Services
• Enhance traditional, cultural and western
  Knowledge Development and Sharing
• Support Community Development
• Health Human Resources
• Federal/Provincial/Territorial/Aboriginal Roles
  Responsibilities

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Strategic Action Plan Themes

• Community leadership
• Community resources (natural caregivers)
• Traditional and cultural ways of healing
• Improved communication, sharing of information
• Coordinated continuum of services
• Increase number of workers with appropriate
  mental health and addictions and cultural
  awareness training
• Reduce burnout and support existing staff
  (clinical supervision)

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Alianait - The Inuit-Specific Mental Wellness
Task Group

• Mandate to create an Inuit-specific national
  strategy that reflects Inuit mental wellness
  priorities and circumstances
• Inuit-specific plan and goals complement the MWAC
  Strategic Action Plan, while addressing unique
  Inuit needs and issues
• Inuit approach to mental wellness is holistic,
  positive and inclusive of all stakeholders
  Everyone has a role to play

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Alianait A Phased Approach to Mental Wellness

• Four-phased approach to implementation
• Phase I develop regional community wellness
  plans (4) and an urban Inuit plan
• Phase II-IV implement short, medium and
  long-term goals
• Focus on community development and partnerships

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Applying a Public Health Perspective

• Contributing to a long-term public health vision
• Importance of prevention and promotion
• Understanding and building links between mental
  and physical health
• Injury prevention chronic disease physical
  activity
• Building capacity and improving community
  wellness
• Collaborative, community-based approaches offer
  best chance of success

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Promoting Healthy Communities

• Community development approach to health
  promotion
• Developing community capacity to improve mental
  wellness
• Improving mental wellness to develop community
  capacity
• Mental wellness as a measure of community health
• A range of determinants impact wellness
• Multiple players involved (federal departments,
  provincial/territorial governments, NGOs, etc)
• Co-existing cultural and mainstream approaches to
  program delivery
• Respecting, valuing, and utilizing traditional
  and cultural knowledge, methodologies, languages,
  and ways of knowing
• Role of women
• Engage and empower international examples of
  healthy indigenous communities with vibrant women
  leaders

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Lessons Learned

• To be relevant, programs and services must
  respect the importance of
• Community development and decision making
• Cultural relevance
• A coordinated continuum of services

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Future Directions

• Mental Wellness Advisory Committee
• Collaborate with the Mental Health Commission of
  Canada
• Health Canada
• Continue to support the work of MWAC
• Use MWAC Strategic Action Plan (SAP) to guide
  existing/new program investments
• Implement NADS including new NNADAP
  (framework) and mental wellness teams
• Explore opportunities for collaboration with
  NDPHS partners