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Mental Health First Aid First Nations

Mental Health First Aid First Nations is a spark that awakens the courage to have open and honest conversations about mental health with family, friends, and others. It is part of a larger journey that helps strengthen the connections within communities.

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Course Outline - Plan de formation

Course Objectives

The MHFA First Nations course is intended for First Nations however, is also recommended for anyone that works with First Nations. This course can be delivered wherever there is a need, such as a First Nations community, urban organization, rural and remote. It is especially important to note this is not a culturally competency or cultural sensitivity course. It is expected that anyone who takes the MHFA First Nations course will already have an existing and ongoing relationship with First Nations people and communities. It is designed to provide an opportunity for First Nations participants and others who work with First Nations to learn and have serious conversations about mental health and wellness. Participants will reflect on their life experiences, acknowledge the historical context of the colonization of Canada and move forward to address and explore ways to restore balance on a journey to mental health and wellness. 

Course model

The EAGLE Model

For many First Nations across Turtle Island (Canada), the eagle has a very prominent place and role. The eagle is most often seen as the messenger to the Creator and for this reason we use the acronym (EAGLE) to guide the process of implementing the five basic actions of providing mental health support to someone experiencing a mental health crisis or to prevent a mental crisis from worsening until professional help can be found.

In the MHFA course, you will gain a solid understanding of the 5 basic actions of EAGLE:

Engage and Evaluate the risk of suicide or harm
Assist the person to seek professional help
Give reassurance and information
Listen without judgment
Encourage self-help strategies and gather community supports

EAGLE is the framework for having a confident conversation about mental health with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers.

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Key outcomes

  • Increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of the most common mental health problems
  • Increase awareness of the pathways to recovery
  • Increase confidence and skills to help those developing a mental health problem or in crisis

Crisis first aid skills learned

  • Substance Overdose
  • Acute stress reaction
  • Panic attack
  • Suicidal behavior
  • Self-harm
  • Psychotic episode

Course sections

1. Mental health journeys

  • First Nations culture and wellness
  • Walking in two worlds
  • Historical loss and trauma
  • Circle of Support

2. Foundations of Mental Health First Aid

  • Health and mental health
  • Mental health problems and disorders
  • Wellness circle for First Nations and Aboriginal Peoples
  • Mental health stigma
  • The 5 actions of EAGLE

3. Pathways to recovery: mood-related disorders

  • Walking in two worlds
  • Approaches
  • Holistic perspective
  • Crisis first aid for mood-related disorders
  • The 5 actions of EAGLE
  • Circle of support

4. Pathways to recovery: substance-related disorders

  • Walking in two worlds
  • Approaches
  • Substance use disorder
  • Problematic behaviours related to substance use disorder
  • Alcohol in First Nations communities
  • Signs and symptoms
  • Holistic approach
  • Crisis first aid for overdose
  • Risk factors
  • The 5 actions of EAGLE

5. Pathways to recovery: self-harm

  • Walking in two worlds
  • Approaches
  • Forms of self-harm
  • Crisis first aid for self-harm
  • The 5 actions of EAGLE
  • Circle of support

6. Pathways to recovery: anxiety and trauma-related disorders

 
 

MHFA Resources

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Envisioning the future of workplace mental health
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MHFA Case Studies

Case Study: Government of Saskatchewan and Mental Health First Aid
In Saskatchewan, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) education is a shared responsibility between the Ministry of Education, under the authority of the Minister of Education, and locally elected boards of education. There are 27 school divisions in Saskatchewan, including public school divisions, separate school divisions, and the francophone school division.
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Case Study: nabs and Mental Health First Aid
Founded in 1983 in Canada, nabs is a unique charity specifically designed to support the health and well-being of all individuals in the media, marketing, and communications industry in Canada.
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Case Study: Loblaws and Mental Health First Aid
In 2018, Loblaw started working on being more proactive by providing store managers with the tools they need to respond to mental health crises in the workplace.
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Check all case studies >>>