Proactive approach needed – Castanet.net
More needs to be done to support Indigenous mental health: TRU prof
Aug 27, 2020
Earlier this week, the Canadian government announced $82.5 million in mental health and wellness supports to help Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the funding is welcomed, an Indigenous mental health professional and TRU professor says the money could be spread so thin that it isn’t very cost effective.
“There are over 600 First Nations, and if you add the Métis communities and the Inuit communities, you’ve got that much more,” Dr. Rod McCormick tells Castanet. “Often with mental health dollars in Indigenous communities, there’s not enough money to do much.”
McCormick, who’s from the Mohawk Nation, is calling on Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to become more proactive and less reactive when it comes to mental health supports.
