Decolonizing Mental Health Practices

Our Organization

BLC Wellness INC.

What is the name of your solution?

Decolonizing Mental Health Practices

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

BLC Wellness INC. bridges Indigenous Paradigms within the four quadrants of wellness. The reciprocal relationship of energy exchanges is shared through storytelling, circle process, and honoring one another with resiliency.

What specific problem are you solving?

Decolonizing Indigenous Mental Health Practices:

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:
Historical trauma, oppression, and systemic oppression have universally impacted Indigenous people and other nationalities. The silent genocide of Indigenous peoples around the world has been significant. Attempts to assimilate Indigenous peoples through strategic colonial policies have resulted in many losses, including land and strong connections with language, culture and traditional ways (Hart , 2007).

INDIGENOUS MENTAL HEALTH:
The diverse Indigenous populations universally, have been impacted by colonization and the lasting imprints of intergenerational trauma are evident in todays society. The social determinants of health are created by the political and economical marginalization (Indigenous | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness). Indigenous well-being is connected to cultural responsiveness such as; ceremonies, language, land and prayer. Historically, colonization has impacted mental well-being through the assimilation process and systemic barriers experienced by Indigenous people's globally. 

BARRIER'S OF MENTAL HEALTH:

- Inadequate funding
- Isolated locations
- Lack of adequate service delivery 
- Cultural competency

BLC Wellness INC. thrives to work towards individual mental health sustainability and wellness. The relationship building is displayed through service delivery and honoring one another with resiliency.  

BLC Wellness INC. has the ability to travel to communities - in the essence of bring the appropriate resources to community and/or bring your community to appropriate services. 

BLC Wellness main office located in Saddle Lake Cree Nation, with a leased office space located in St. Paul, AB. The option of service delivery is open to on-reservation or off-reservation. 

What is your solution?

Indigenous frameworks within mental health will provide a Trauma-informed educational series that will be presented to professionals, utilizing Zoom and/or conference style presentations. 

• Health and mental health policies encourage harmonizing approaches to cultural responsiveness within social work practice.
• The culturally responsive framework encompasses creating balance where two systems come together as equals to work together to benefit all (Lavallie, C. Personal Communication.
• Resiliency - the ability to overcome life adversities of trauma and being able to engage in a positive manner (Linklater, R. 2014)
• Cultural resources create strong connections to collaborative community approaches with the medical models, health and healing practices (Linklater, R. 2014)

Indigenous Approaches to Mental Health Prevention:

Community-Led Approaches

• Ensure local resources are utilized.
• Service delivery and supports are congruent to local geography, language and culture.

Wrap-around Services

• Coordinate professional and community resources for children, youth and families.
• Utilizing natural support through culture and relationships.

Cultural Approaches

• It reinvigorates the connection to cultural practices by establishing connections to the land, culture, and language. encouragement enhances clientele's hope, belonging, and connection. ,

The two-eyed seeing method used in mental health services and supports merges Western frameworks and Indigenous science in service planning and delivery. This method allows practitioners to expand their service delivery by using community elders entrenched in language, culture and ceremonies to treat clients (https://cewh.ca/wp-content/upl...) 

Trauma-Informed Care using the four quadrants of wellness within Mental Health:

Using non-stigmatizing language.

• The belief is that words can build relationships and create compassion to create safe spaces for all. 
• Non-judgmental words
• As practitioners to ensure we are not imposing our beliefs and bias on clientele.

Identify existing community strengths.

• Establish connections to programs and resources.
• Asset mapping is used to identify community programs and which ones work well together.

Connecting with elders and knowledge keepers.

• Indigenous wholistic perspectives provide guidance and traditional teachings to children, youth and families.
• The teachings encompass decolonizing practices within mental health.

Identifying collaborative partners.

• Building relationships is fundamental to establishing funding.
• Relational work (meaningful work) is established with children, youth and families (https://cewh.ca/wp-content/upl...)

Trauma-informed care within mental health:

• Realizing your power and privilege, using it to enhance services for clientele.
• Using your voice to help all navigate the system(s).
• Allyship/Advocacy = relationships.
• Collaborative Approaches and circle process.
• They are ensuring cultural competency when working with Indigenous folks (historical trauma & collective trauma, impacts of colonization across generations)
• Cultural humility and cultural safety
• They are integrating Indigenous worldviews into practice. IE: allowing the seven grandfather teachings to guide your practice creates safe and inclusive spaces for all (Gorman, K. 2022 Personal Communication).

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

As Indigenous social worker's who works with Indigenous folks and resides in an Indigenous community, our goal is to develop and strengthen our skills as a practicing social worker's. I view myself as a helper and an advocate for individuals, children, and families whose voices are silenced. As Indigenous social worker's, allowing the cultural teachings to guide the process; the values and beliefs in cultural perspectives enhance our work ethic through respect, honesty, humility, courage, love, wisdom, and truth. Also, being mindful in approaching situations and mitigate concerns creates stability in work ethics.

The goal is to decolonize social work/mental health practices and integrate social work's contemplative review and paradigm shifts by integrating the wider bases of developing cross-cultural practices for practicing social workers. Our thoughts are the core concepts of Indigenous methodologies and Indigenous frameworks include collaborative approaches and community-based initiatives. IE: social worker and client working together to design, develop, and test 'what might work for them, in their current situations.' (Gray, Coates, Yellowbird, & Hetherington 2013). The four quadrants of Indigenous frameworks are conducive to sustaining mental health wellness.

Globally, social workers work with a high percentage of Indigenous peoples, children, and families. Strengthening the understanding of cultural paradigms would be a positive step towards change (not only for Indigenous folks but other nationalities as well). The need to educate Indigenous peoples within mental health initiatives is embedded in the research and methodologies utilized. Indigenous knowledge is the starting point for Indigenous practices (Hart, Straka, Rowe 2017).

In conclusion, Indigenous methodologies incorporate how our perceptions and experiences can guide treatment, assessments and outcomes; being cognizant of practices and guiding principles will enhance successful outcomes for clientele. There needs to be a balance of all spectrums being utilized in social work/mental health practices.  Change guides the process that reflects the individual, family, and community, and understanding it's not just a methodology (perspective) (Hart, Straka, Rowe 2017). 

Which Indigenous community(s) does your solution benefit? In what ways will your solution benefit this community?

Our location of service delivery is Saddle Lake Cree Nation (main office), BLC Wellness does have a sub-office in the neighboring town of St. Paul, AB. The delivery of services can be either location.

BLC Wellness target population is Indigenous People's. As business owners and social work practitioners who reside and work within our home community it provides us the opportunity to work in a meaningful way with community member's. BLC Wellness helps people navigate the wellness process through (not limited to) one-on-one counselling , workshops, circle process, family group conferencing and prevention consultation. BLC Wellness offers professional services and client based services and supports.

Engagement will be market advertising, social media and communicative techniques to provide information for BLC Wellness service delivery options.  

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

We are a team of two Indigenous social workers with a vision to creating wellness within the community setting. Residing in community has allowed us to walk along side with individuals who struggle with mental health and addictions. Seeing it and experiencing it at the community level provides an empathic observation of "vision for the future'. Being residential school survivor's has allowed us to deconstruct our own life story of intergenerational trauma and trauma. The life experiences has enhanced our desire for healing and wellness using Indigenous methodologies as guiding principles in our practice. 

Community engagement can be difficult, but being persistent with providing opportunities to create balance at the community setting can be done. 

At this point in time, all Indigenous Nation's are challenged with the same inequalities of services such as mental health. The 'lack of' hinders individual development, family development and community development.  

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Promote culturally informed mental and physical health and wellness services for Indigenous community members.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Alberta, Canada

In what country is your solution team headquartered?

• Canada

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Pilot: An organization testing a product, service, or business model with a small number of users

How many people does your solution currently serve?

We are scheduled to open May 15, 2023

Why are you applying to Solve?

BLC Wellness is scheduled to open to public May 15, 2023. 

The financial barriers of securing funding has been challenging, but having faith has nudged us to continue moving forward in providing culturally effective mental health service delivery for wellness. We have a vision and will continue to walk the path as helper's in our community to educating and using trauma-informed practices as our stepping stones to success. 

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

• Financial (e.g. accounting practices, pitching to investors)

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Billy Cardinal

Please indicate the tribal affiliation of your Team Lead.

Saddle Lake Cree Nation

How is your Team Lead connected to the community or communities in which your project is based?

Community Member