Development and Evaluation of a Student-Led Mental Health Promotion Workshop to Address Community Needs for Marginalized Populations in Urban Northern Ontario, Canada (original) (raw)

Findings From a Process Evaluation of an Indigenous Holistic Housing Support and Mental Health Case Management Program in Downtown Toronto

International Journal of Indigenous Health, 2021

While urban Indigenous populations in Canada are increasing and represent many diverse and culturally vibrant communities, disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people’s experiences of the social determinants of health are significant. The Mino Kaanjigoowin (MK) program at Na-Me-Res (Native Men’s Residence) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, supports Indigenous men who are experiencing homelessness or are precariously housed and who have complex health and social needs. Using a community-partnered approach that aligns with wise practices for conducting Indigenous health research, a mixed-methods process evaluation of the MK program was conducted in 2017‒2018 by the Well Living House in partnership with Na-Me-Res. Thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through two focus groups with community members who access the MK program (n = 9) and key informant interviews with staff (n = 11) was carried out using a decolonizing lens. Results indicate that the MK program provides a...

Improving youth mental wellness services in an Indigenous context in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories: ACCESS Open Minds Project

Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2019

AimTo describe a community‐specific and culturally coherent approach to youth mental health services in a small and remote northern Indigenous community in Canada's Northwest Territories, under the framework of ACCESS Open Minds (ACCESS OM), a pan‐Canadian youth mental health research and evaluation network.MethodsAs 1 of the 14 Canadian communities participating in a 5‐year, federally funded service transformation and evaluation project, the arctic Inuit community of Ulukhaktok has undertaken culturally relevant adjustments in their delivery of youth mental wellness services and related community wellness initiatives. These enhancement activities highlight connections to culture and traditional skills, honour youth‐ and community‐expressed desires to incorporate Inuvialuit‐specific approaches to wellness, and strengthen the support systems to improve access to mainstream mental healthcare, when needed. The adaptation of a Lay Health Worker model from Global Mental Health to the...

A community-driven and evidence-based approach to developing mental wellness strategies in First Nations: a program protocol

Research Involvement and Engagement, 2020

Background Mental health, substance use/addiction and violence (MSV) are important issues affecting the well-being of Indigenous People in Canada. This paper outlines the protocol for a research-to-action program called the Mental Wellness Program (MWP). The MWP aims to increase community capacity, promote relationship-building among communities, and close gaps in services through processes that place value on and supports Indigenous communities’ rights to self-determination and control. The MWP involves collecting and using local data to develop and implement community-specific mental wellness strategies in five First Nations in Ontario. Methods The MWP has four key phases. Phase 1 (data collection) includes a community-wide survey to understand MSV issues, service needs and community strengths; in-depth interviews with individuals with lived experiences with MSV issues to understand, health system strengths, service gaps and challenges, as well as individual and community resilien...

First Nations Mental Wellness: Mobilizing Change through Partnership and Collaboration

Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 2015

A key priority of the mental health strategy for Canada is to establish a coordinated continuum of mental wellness (mental health and substance use) services for and by First Nations, which include traditional, cultural, and mainstream approaches. This paper describes developments critical to informing the strategy and helping to create foundations for systems change at all levels with positive impacts being created in First Nations communities across Canada. Key lessons include the need to create mutually cooperative and respectful working relationships that will foster collaborative partnerships with First Nations in order to effect change in communities, and the use of culture as a foundation to create lasting and meaningful change.

Sheltering Aboriginal Women with Mental Illness in Ontario, Canada: Being “Kicked” and Nurtured

Journal of Nursing & Care, 2014

Objective: For individuals living with mental health challenges, the provision of homeless shelters can offer a temporary respite in overwhelming life circumstances. There is, however, limited evidence regarding the subjective experiences associated with shelter services by Aboriginal women in Canada. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the day-to-day experiences of Aboriginal women as they seek and provide safety, comfort, health, and healing in the context of mental illness and insecure housing.