New collaboration hopes to improve mental health care for Indigenous people – CBC
Traditional ways will be integrated with modern mental health care
Aug 06, 2020
A new program and partnership between Atlohsa Family Healing Services and St. Joseph’s Health wants to improve Indigenous peoples’ experiences with mental health services in the region.
Announced Wednesday, Biigajiiskaan Indigenous Pathways to Mental Wellness will provide culturally safe and specialized care for Indigenous people with serious mental illness, addictions and concurrent disorders. It will work on a referral basis.
Raymond Deleary, executive director of Atlohsa Family Healing Services, said they’ve already started to connect with people both inside and outside the hospital setting.
“We feel like it’s already made quite a bit of an impact,” he said. “People who traditionally have been stigmatized in receiving hospital support and also dealing with racism and inequalities and services will feel much more inclined to reach out for the support they need in the moment.”
