THE ABORiGiNAL CHiLDREN'S HEALTH AND WELL- BEiNG MEASURE APP

Introduction:

Youth mental health and addiction has been a pertinent problem that current policies fail to fully address, especially within the Indigenous community. Current policy regarding this issue is in place, including the subsidization of 22 hours of counseling every 12 months, with additional hours available on a case-by-case basis, for Indigenous people with mental health problems under the Non-Insured Health Benefits program. However, this policy fails to provide culturally sensitive and specific help for Indigenous people, and is a reflection of Canada’s long history of creating solutions that do not account for the differing lifestyle and experiences of the Indigenous community. Your task is to amend this current policy on mental health counseling to better address calls from Indigenous advocates and the multitude of cultures and healing traditions across Indigenous groups. Make sure that your brief centres solutions around Indigenous advocacy and considers the exclusion of Indigenous communities from decision-making. We also encourage that you look into areas where Indigenous advocacy and current policy clash.

Context：

The Aboriginal Children's Health and Well-Being Measure (ACHWM) app was developed with indigenous youth for indigenous youth and is the first of its kind to measure spiritual, emotional, physical and mental wellness. The novel app has made a significant impact in Wiikwemkoong territory’s youth wellness. Thus, we propose its expansion into other communities and integration into existing Indigenous-Candian healthcare networks...

THE ABORiGiNAL CHiLDREN'S HEALTH AND WELL- BEiNG MEASURE APP.pdf

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Author: Maria Medeleanu, Elizabeth Khvatova, Frank Mazza