New partnership aims to address B.C. First Nations’ mental health gap

Acknowledging a problem is often the first step in fixing it, and improving awareness of the mental-health gap affecting First Nations peoples is a step toward reducing that disparity.

The First Nations Health Authority and Adler University announced a three-year partnership Tuesday (Oct. 7) which aims to do just that.

The partnership brings together Canada’s only provincial First Nations health authority with Adler University — a specialized school offering graduate programs in psychology and counselling.

It aims to educate future mental health professionals on First Nations knowledge and traditions.

More than 85 per cent of First Nations believe it is important to have access to a health-care system that supports their traditional knowledge and medicine, according to Statistics Canada.

First Nations Health Authority CEO Monica McAlduff emphasized how essential it is for mental health professionals to be educated on First Nations perspectives.

“Our communities carry unique histories, healing traditions, and lived experiences that must be honoured in the care they receive,” McAlduff said in an email.

The collaboration is still in its early stages, but McAlduff said planning for it has been in the works since the days of the health authority’s previous CEO.

Bradley O’Hara, executive dean of Adler’s Vancouver campus, said the partnership is the result of “a lot of networking” over the years.

Being the first collaboration of its kind for Adler, O’Hara said it will be important for there to be mutual understanding before the work of co-creating could begin.

Although much of the work is still to come, both the health authority and Adler expressed beliefs that the partnership feels like a natural fit for the two groups.

“My belief is that our Adlerian roots align quite well with Indigenous perspectives,” O’Hara said.

Adler University is founded on the psychological principles of Alfred Adler which emphasize the importance of community and social connection — the same values that are often considered cornerstones of many First Nations cultures.

McAldruff agreed that Adler’s approach to mental health is what made the prospect of a partnership attractive to the First Nations Health Authority. She believes it is Adler’s community-informed approach to mental health and commitment to collaboration will play a key role in bringing First Nations perspectives to mental health education.

The first meeting between the two groups is set for November, with hopes of better understanding their respective goals for the partnership. The health authority and university plan to meet every six months to check in on the progress of the partnership. 

“There was a lot of good energy in the room when we met with the FNHA,” O’Hara said. “I feel we’ve gotten off to a great start, and I hope that really sets the tone for the rest of our work going forward.”

Sally Ji is a Kwantlen Polytechnic University practicum student working with Black Press Media.