Indigenous Success Stories: First Nations

First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework is an integrated, holistic model developed by indigenous groups as a national framework that addresses mental wellness among First Nations in Canada. It identifies ways to enhance service coordination among various systems and supports culturally safe delivery of services. Mental wellness is supported by culture, language, Elders, families and creation and is necessary for healthy individual, community and family life.

The FNMWC Framework was developed through collaboration between the Assembly of First Nations, Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, the National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation, the Native Mental Health Association, and other community mental health leaders
http://thunderbirdpf.org/first-nations-mental-wellness-continuum-framework/

Mount Waddington Health Network – A new website to support First Nations communities in preventing youth suicide. Funded by Indigenous Services Canada and developed by an experienced advisory group with support from the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation and the University of Victoria’s School of Child and Youth Care, the new on-line resource focuses on preventing youth suicide through culturally-relevant strategies to support resilience and wellbeing.

Rather than centring on individualized and psychological approaches to suicide prevention, Wise Practices “leads with the language of life” says Dr. Jennifer White, of the University of Victoria. In a welcome video on the homepage, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation’s Carol Hopkins informs visitors to the site that “we’ve listened to First Nations youth across the country who said that the conversation on suicide prevention that’s focused on death and dying is not helpful to them. They want to focus on how to live life.” Towards this aim, the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework conceptually grounds this work.
https://wisepractices.ca/