Holding hope in our hearts relational practice and ethical engagement in mental health and addictions: final report

Summary: Background: As part of their―Building Bridges initiative, the Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) and the Native Mental Health Association of Canada (NMHAC) collaborated with the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Advisory Committee (FNIM AC) to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in a joint research project to understand best and promising practices that constitute cultural safety and relational practice in the Canadian context. In 2009, they commissioned a total of forty-one focus groups in Western and Eastern Canada, a national symposium in Ottawa in 2010, and two research papers, one on social inclusion, the other on cultural safety. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of findings from the Western focus group consultations, augmented by themes identified in the proceedings of the symposium. The Executive Summary of the Eastern focus groups can be found in Appendix D: Research Question: The central question underpinning this project was ―What will improve practice in mental health and addiction services for all Canadians?‖ We sought insight into this question by conducting 27 focus groups in five Western Canadian cities with people who have experienced mental health and/or addictions services, including practitioners and recipients of services, approximately two-thirds aboriginal, one-third non-aboriginal, the majority working in aboriginal-led organizations serving aboriginal people. The focus on mainly aboriginal agencies, their staff and clients, was an intentional decision given that aboriginal ―voices‖ have seldom been privileged.

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