top of page
Search

Indigenous mental health support - British Columbia and Alberta

  • Writer: Cynthia Yuen
    Cynthia Yuen
  • Nov 30, 2022
  • 4 min read

Indigenous people are one of the vulnerable groups in Canada. Stacey (RRT from B.C.) and I (RRT from Alberta) researched Indigenous mental health in British Columbia and Alberta; we compared how these two provinces support this specific vulnerable group in mental health.

Indigenous peoples are diverse communities across Canada, comprising First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations. Indigenous peoples constituted 4.9% of the population of Canada in 2016 (Lawal et al., 2021). According to Lawal et al. (2021), the reasons for the higher burden of physical and mental illnesses among the Canadian Indigenous populations is attributable to social determinants of health such as education, housing, socioeconomic status, and access to services. On the other hand, Indigenous peoples often experience inequities that predispose them to experience poorer health outcomes compared to non-Indigenous populations. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada reports complex intergenerational trauma inflicted upon Indigenous peoples from the imposition of the residential school system and the Indian Act in Canada over several decades. The mental health support for Indigenous people in British Columbia and Alberta provides services by incorporating culturally appropriate approaches, such as indigenous-led programs, traditional practices and ceremonies; that make the Indigenous mental health support unique.

Indigenous mental health in BC

Prevalence (B.C.):

Craig (2021) unveils some startling statistics regarding Indigenous Peoples living in B.C.:

  • Those living on reserves are twice as likely as non-Indigenous individuals to experience mental illness.

  • 16% of First Nations living on reserve experienced major depression compared to 8% of non-Indigenous Canadians.

  • First Nations youth are nine times more likely to experience mental health than non-Indigenous youth.

According to the British Columbia Aboriginal Survivors Study, only 2 of 127 residential school survivors were not affected by mental illness. 64.2% had post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mental Health Services (B.C.):

A Path Forward is a collaborative effort between the First Nations Health Authority, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada (2013) and outlines a 10-year plan to improve mental health services for Indigenous Peoples and First Nations specifically. The plan ion and has worked on strategic directions for several mental health initiatives, including reducing stigma and expanding early childhood education and parenting initiatives.

The First Nations Health Authority (2022a) outlines a myriad of online, telephone and in-person support, such as:

  • First Nations virtual doctor of the day: virtual health care for individuals without a doctor.

  • Kuu-Us crisis line society: crisis services for Indigenous Peoples across B.C.

  • Metis Crisis line

The Province of British Columbia (2022) has a separate subsection for Indigenous health that focuses on children & youth: Indigenous child & youth mental health (CYMH) services. Their website lists several resources for children & youth based on the geographic region in B.C.

Some health authorities have dedicated staff that act as liaisons for individuals in the community. For example, at Fraser Health, Indigenous mental health liaisons provide advocacy and support for Indigenous Peoples.

Funding (B.C.):

Most notably, in 2021, the province of B.C. dedicated 12 million dollars to the BC Residential School Response fund. 1.5 million of this funding was allocated specifically for culturally safe and trauma-informed mental health for residential school survivors and Indigenous Peoples.

In collaboration with federal funding, the province of British Columbia relies on several organizations for funding mental health initiatives/services for Indigenous Peoples. For example, First Nations Health Authority (2022b) outlines in their 2018 funding guidelines that between the health authority, the province of B.C. and the Government of Canada 30 million dollars would be allocated specifically for Indigenous mental health between 2018-2020.

Indigenous mental health in Alberta

Prevalence (Alberta):

Indigenous peoples carry the highest burden of physical and mental illnesses in Canada, a trend that extends to other countries with Indigenous populations (Lawal et al., 2021). Based on results of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey, half (53%) of the Aboriginal population aged 12 and older in Alberta rated their health as excellent or very good in 2012: 49% of First Nations people living off reserve, 56% of Métis, and 56% of Inuit (Statistics Canada, 2016). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous people experience a higher burden with mental health than other ethnic groups (Lawal et al., 2021).

Mental health services (Alberta):

Besides the provincial addiction and mental health services, indigenous-focused mental health services are also available. Some of the services are:

  • Indigenous Mental Health Program (AHS, n.d.b.)- provides culturally appropriate health care and support for indigenous clients. Some services include counselling, psycho-educational group therapy, trauma-informed therapy for individuals, outreach program, resources including access to Traditional Wellness Counsellors, culturally safe patient and family-centred care, and education.

  • Traditional Wellness Coordinator Services (AHS, n.d.c.) - provides cultural and spiritual support to First Nations (Status and Non-Status), Metis and Inuit peoples and their families. Services include ceremonies, traditional practices, smudging, and prayer.

Funding (Alberta):

  • Indigenous Addiction and Mental Wellness grant (AHS, n.d.a) - AHS has announced a two-year $4.9 million grant for projects within Alberta that will help enhance Indigenous community-based mental health and wellness supports and services. The grant will initially provide successful applicants with up to $200,000 in funding over 24 months (up to March 31, 2025). This grant is open to applicants from First Nation (on reserve), Métis Settlements, the Métis Nation of Alberta, Inuit-led organizations, and rural and urban Indigenous-led and operated organizations that wish to address gaps in mental health and addiction support in their communities.

  • Residential School Mental Health Support Grant Program (Government of Alberta, 2021) - The Alberta government will invest $8 million in the program to care for mental health, including supporting the healing of residential school survivors and their families.


References:

Alberta Health Services (AHS). (n.d.a.). Indigenous Continuum of Addiction & Mental Wellness Grant. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/info/Page18002.aspx

Alberta Health Services (AHS). (n.d.b.). Indigenous Mental Health Program. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/findhealth/Service.aspx?id=1017002

Alberta Health Services (AHS). (n.d.c.). Traditional Wellness Coordinator Services. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/findhealth/Service.aspx?id=1070611

Craig, S. (2021, March 8). Behind the headlines: A look at Indigenous mental health. https://www.elisplace.org/behind-the-headlines-a-look-at-indigenous-mental-health/

First Nations Health Authority, Province of British Columbia, & Government of Canada. (2013). A path forward: BC First Nations and Aboriginal People’s mental wellness and substance use – 10 year plan. https://www.fnha.ca/Documents/FNHA_MWSU.pdf

Government of Alberta. (2021). Supporting Indigenous-led mental health efforts. https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=796031BE49BD0-C5EF-697C-B0AC121B431A9005

Lawal, M. A., Shalaby, R., Chima, C., Vuong, W., Hrabok, M., Gusnowski, A., Surood, S., Greenshaw, A. J., & Agyapong, V. I. O. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Levels Highest amongst Indigenous Peoples in Alberta. Behavioral Sciences, 11(9), 115. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11090115

Province of British Columbia. (2021, September 27). Enhancing Indigenous-led wellness supports for residential school survivors.https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021IRR0059-001857

Statistics Canada. (2016). Aboriginal peoples: Facts Sheet for Alberta. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-656-x/89-656-x2016010-eng.pdf



 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page