As part of the first steps toward building an Indigenous Integrated Youth Services (IYS) Network, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) gathered one hundred stakeholders from nine provinces and one territory in Montreal on April 24-25, 2023. This Indigenous network builds on the work of the ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Council, which is part of the larger pan-Canadian ACCESS Open Minds youth mental health initiative (funded by CIHR’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research and the Graham Boeckh Foundation), that supported the organization of the Montreal gathering.
This event was led by Christopher Mushquash (Psychologist, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction at Lakehead University) and Srividya Iyer (Psychologist and Professor at McGill University and the Douglas Research Centre). In addition to connecting existing partners, it provided opportunities for the emergence of new ones.
A variety of groups were present, including the Indigenous Council at ACCESS Open Minds, Indigenous organizations (including Thunderbird Partnership Foundation and First Peoples Wellness Circle), Indigenous community leaders, service providers, provincial IYS, federal agencies (Health Canada, CIHR, Indigenous Services Canada), philanthropic foundations, researchers, students, and service providers.
The gathering opened and closed with blessings from Elders Amelia Tekwatonti McGregor, Ed Connors and Georgina Doucette, who shared their wisdom and experiences throughout the sessions. Twenty-one Indigenous youths from across the country participated in youth sharing circles and large group discussions about topics as diverse as service provision, community engagement, and funding. Participants shared their stories, successes, and challenges during the event.
In addition to learning from the Indigenous communities that are part of the ACCESS Open Minds Network, this gathering will facilitate the development of wise practices and recommendations to implement context-specific and culturally relevant youth mental health system changes in Indigenous contexts. The network will also be built and nurtured by Indigenous young people, leaders, organizations, and service providers.
