Treaty 6 and 8 grand chiefs call for action on counselling – St. Albert Gazette
Chiefs Noskey and Thomas say province must establish regulatory college to address First Nations mental health crisis
The grand chiefs of most of Alberta’s First Nations have called on the province to proclaim a counselling college and address an ongoing mental health crisis.
Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta Grand Chief Arthur Noskey, Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations Grand Chief Cody Thomas, and Nicole Imgrund, chair of the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA), called on the province Feb. 23 to immediately proclaim the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (CCTA) to address the mental health and opioid crisis in First Nations communities.
Imgrund, who owns Rivers Edge Counselling in St. Albert, said Alberta’s 4,000 counselling professionals are not currently subject to oversight or minimum standards as they are not a regulated health profession.
“It’s a very serious risk to the public,” she said, and it means there’s no way to ensure counsellors have the cultural training needed to help Indigenous clients.
