Workforce Wellness Strategy
Supporting the Well-being of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce
FIRST PEOPLES WELLNESS CIRCLE
First Peoples Wellness Circle (FPWC) is an Indigenous-led national not-forprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of Canada’s First Peoples by addressing healing, wellness, and mental wellness barriers. The organization’s purpose is to walk with and support First Peoples and communities to share collective intelligence for healing, peace-making, and living a good life. FPWC advocates for collaborative and transformative change and promotes pathways to holistic health and wellness for First Peoples by incorporating diverse Indigenous cultural lenses and knowledge.
FPWC primarily focuses on implementing the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework and supporting the frontline mental wellness and trauma-specialized workforce. FPWC aims to foster resilience, well-being, and mental wellness within First Nation communities by creating and disseminating resources tailored to the unique needs and perspectives of First Peoples.
Through partnerships, capacity-building, and continuous advocacy, FPWC is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of Canada’s First Peoples and promoting a brighter, healthier future for all. We recognize the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing in addressing the complex challenges First Nations and other Indigenous communities face. By bringing together stakeholder expertise, FPWC can develop comprehensive strategies and resources that empower First Nations and others to achieve wellness and thrive in all aspects of life.
By advocating for strategies around peace-making, healing, life promotion, and wellness, FPWC is helping to create a mental wellness landscape that is more responsive to the unique needs and experiences of First Nations communities. First Peoples Wellness Circle is a visionary organization that addresses the unique mental wellness barriers faced by Canada’s First Peoples. By implementing the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework and supporting mental wellness and trauma-specialized workforces, FPWC is making a tangible difference in the delivery and supports available to frontline workers.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This strategy was informed by the generosity, contributions, and views of individuals who are part of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce (FNMWW), which include, but are not limited to, the following roles: health directors, managers, service providers, cultural support roles, knowledge keepers, coordinators, and Wellness Workers.
We acknowledge their input, feedback, and the ways that they support their communities every day. The FNMWW has continued to build an important legacy in serving communities in the areas of mental wellness, trauma, and addictions.
The Mental Wellness movement has roots in traditional and historical community and family cultural strengths and capacity. It began to take its current form during the times of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation projects and related research and service delivery.
The current Mental Wellness Teams, Crisis Response Teams, and other specialized Indigenous Mental Wellness Workforces have been funded at different times over the past two decades. Their creativity, innovation, and connection to community and culture supported the development of projects, programs, and services that are highly effective and aligned with community needs. We acknowledge their service to meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities and hope the movement will continue to strengthen.
We also acknowledge the dedicated work of the First Peoples Wellness Circle (FPWC) staff and the contracted development team that continued work throughout the period impacted by waves of COVID-19 and shutdowns. The focus remained on providing a practical and helpful strategy centred on well-being for the mental wellness workforce that was reflective of the realities of the landscape.
FPWC would like to thank the Working Group for its thoughtful guidance and invaluable contributions to this strategy. The Working Group had volunteers from across the country in various service delivery settings, which provided the depth of understanding and supported innovation in developing this resource. We acknowledge all of those on the Working Group including:
Ginny Heilman Manager of Social Emergencies Giishkaandago’Ikwe Health Services
Dr. Quintina Bearchief-Adolpho Team Leader, Mental Health Clinical Services Siksika Health Services
Nadia House Team Lead and Advocacy Case Manager Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Mental Wellness Team
Laurie Paul Mental Wellness Coordinator Wolastoqey Nation
Carol McCorrister Director of Mental Health and Wellness Southern Chiefs’ Organization Inc.
Lisa Meawasige Program Director of Mental Wellness & Minobimaadizing Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services Inc.
OVERVIEW
The Mental Wellness Teams
Comprehensive Needs Assessment, 20191, initiated by First Peoples Wellness Circle in collaboration with members of Mental Wellness Teams from across Turtle Island, indicated the need to develop and implement a strategy focused on supporting the well-being of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce (FNMWW), which includes Mental Wellness Teams, Crisis Support Teams, and other specialized wellness workforces such as the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program.
This Workforce Wellness Strategy aims to:
• Support the wellness of the workers who comprise the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce who serve First Nations communities and their members,
• Be reflective of those workers and the current realities they work in; and
• Contain strategies that can be implemented in meaningful ways.
Informed by the workers who comprise it, the Workforce Wellness Strategy provides pathways, strategies, and recommendations to enhance the well-being of the FNMWW which serves First Nations communities.
The First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce provides culturally appropriate mental wellness services to individuals, families, and communities.
They blend traditional, cultural, and mainstream approaches to provide mental wellness services to First Nations communities. The services and supports offered by the Mental Wellness Workforce may include culture-based interventions, trauma-informed care, landbased programming, cultural programming, facilitation of ceremonies, early intervention and screening, crisis response, aftercare, care coordination, and support an enhanced continuum of care by building partnerships across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions. The members of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce include those belonging to Mental Wellness Teams or Crisis Support Teams, Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program workers, service providers, managers, and health directors, and are commonly referred to as “Wellness Workers.” 2
The FNMWW offers these supports in diverse and complex environments where there is inequitable and unstable funding, insufficient support, and a lack of resources, and tools to support the growing demand. Many members of this workforce have endured ongoing stress, including the personal and systematic effects of colonialism, intergenerational and complex trauma, as well as the effects of individual and systemic racism. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a particularly significant impact on the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce across the country, and within the communities they support. Mainstream mental wellness supports are often insufficient because they are not designed to recognize the importance of culture or address the cumulative and chronic stressors of colonialism that First Nations communities face.
Engaging the FNMWW and relevant partners was essential to ensure the approach and recommendations are reflective of the current environment and those who are working within it. This strategy is informed by views of well-being from various Wellness Workers, including service providers, managers, health directors, and others that comprise the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce.
1 Mental Wellness Teams Comprehensive Needs Assessment. 2019. Accessed April 5, 2023. https://fpwc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/MW-Teams-Comprehensive-Needs-Assessment.pdf
2 For the purposes of this document, all members of the broader First Nations Wellness Workforce are referred to as ‘Wellness Workers’
Throughout the engagement process, Wellness Workers consistently indicated that having culture as a foundation, being relational people, and having equitable resourcing were amongst the most important factors that influenced their own wellness. Wellness Workers indicated that their holistic wellness (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual) is strengthened, maintained, and assessed with culture as a foundation. Members of the FNMWW referenced that cultural supports, the traditional concept of balance, and a culturally supportive organization directly influenced their own wellness. Further, the support from colleagues, family, friends, and clients was also an important factor in their well-being, as those relationships supported their own sense of hope, belonging, meaning, and purpose. Wellness Workers also highlighted that equitable resourcing, such as human resources, compensation, staff recruitment and retention, spaces, and supplies, were needed to support their roles, safety, and ability to care for clients, which in turn directly impacts their path to wellness.
Several meaningful themes emerged, which formed the framework for the Workforce Wellness Strategy:
We all have a responsibility to ensure worker wellness and create an environment to support overall wellness;
Indigenous wellness workforces are unique given connection to family, community, culture and inter-relationships;
Safety and safe work environments are critical in supporting wellness; and
Support of all three Wellness Focus Areas is necessary to enhance worker wellness, which are:
• Individual
• Organizational and Environmental
• Systemic and Political
The Workforce Wellness Strategy is also guided by the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (FNMWCF)3 and centres worker wellness around hope, belonging, meaning, and purpose (see page 14 for more information).
In order for the FNMWW to provide the best support possible for the communities and members they serve, the overall wellness of FNMWW workers needs to be prioritized. It is critical for them to have the knowledge, tools, support, and resources in place in all areas that will positively contribute to their ability to support clients and community. It is imperative to recognize and acknowledge this already overworked workforce requires assistance in supporting their well-being.
3 First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework. 2015. Accessed April 5, 2023. https://thunderbirdpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/24-14-1273-FN-Mental-Wellness-Framework-EN05_low.pdf.
BACKGROUND & METHODOLOGY
In January 2015, the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (FNMWCF) was jointly developed by the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) of Health Canada, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), and Indigenous mental health leaders from various First Nations nongovernmental organizations.
The FNMWCF presents a shared vision for the future of First Nations mental wellness programs and services and practical steps toward achieving that vision. The underlying mental wellness principles and concepts shared in the Framework, particularly related to wellness outcomes of hope, belonging, meaning, and purpose, have informed this strategy and are reflected in the themes and actions throughout.
The FNMWCF describes Mental Wellness as:
“A balance of the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional. This balance is enriched as individuals have: purpose in their daily lives whether it is through education, employment, care-giving activities, or cultural ways of being and doing; hope for their future and those of their families that is grounded in a sense of identity, unique Indigenous values, and having a belief in spirit; a sense of belonging and connectedness within their families, to community, and to culture; and finally a sense of meaning and an understanding of how their lives and those of their families and communities are part of creation and a rich history.”
FIRST NATIONS MENTAL WELLNESS CONTINUUM FRAMEWORK, FULL REPORT, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4
Responding to the recommendations made in the Mental Wellness Teams Comprehensive Needs Assessment, 2019, First Peoples Wellness Circle (FPWC) engaged Christine Goulais Consulting and Advisory Services and Amy Lickers with A.L.L. Consulting Services to engage the workforce in developing a strategy focused on supporting the well-being of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce.
A Working Group comprised mainly of mental wellness workforce team members was established to provide culturally grounded, community-driven guidance and feedback to the design, implementation, interpretation, and analysis of the strategic planning process. The Literature Review, which explored the most current writing and publications around mental wellness from an Indigenous perspective, was done to better understand wise practices and inform the strategy. This included international publications relating to Indigenous mental wellness.
As mentioned, engaging directly with the mental wellness workforce and relevant partners was the most important component of this project to ensure the strategic plan and recommendations are reflective of the current environment and those who are working within it. This was done through the implementation of voluntary nationwide surveys and complementary focus groups that were directed toward the members of the FNMWW. Participation in these engagements included various Wellness Workers, service providers, managers, health directors, and others who make up the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce.
With the support of the Working Group, consultants, and First Peoples Wellness Circle (FPWC) staff, a strategy focused on supporting the well-being of Wellness Workers in First Nation communities was developed.
4 First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework. Thunderbird. (2015). https://thunderbirdpf.org/?resources=first-nations-mental-wellness-continuum-framework
Workforce Wellness Strategy
Framework
The Workforce Wellness Strategy Framework is grounded in the guiding principles of relationships, safety, and collective responsibility, and accountability. These guiding principles can be seen in the dark blue outer circle of the framework:
• We all have a responsibility to ensure worker wellness and create an environment to support overall wellness;
• The First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce is unique given the connection to family, community, culture, and inter-relationships;
• Safety and safe work environments are critical in supporting wellness; and
• Support of all three Wellness Focus Areas is necessary to enhance worker wellness, which are:
• Individual
• Organizational and Environmental
• Systemic and Political
Each of the three Wellness Focus Areas, represented in the light blue areas of the visual, are unpacked further with themes, descriptions, and specific strategies.
The strategies listed are recommendations for supporting wellness at all levels. They are not listed in order of importance, do not need to be implemented in a specific order, and do not represent an exhaustive list. The strategies listed in each theme aim to support the wellness of the FNMWW and the overall implementation of the Workforce Wellness Strategy.
The Workforce Wellness Strategy is guided by the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (FNMWCF)5. The themes of hope, belonging, meaning, and purpose can be seen in the white band in the visual. These themes are connected to the three Wellness Focus Areas that are aligned within the visual. The importance of Kinship, Elders, Clan, and Community found in the FNMWCF is woven throughout the strategy. In addition, the FNMWCF Implementation Guide6 is referenced throughout the strategy as a resource and tool that can support the implementation of specific themes and strategies.
Finally, the guiding principles, themes from the FNMWCF, and Wellness Focus Areas are all centred around “Worker Wellness” in the centre of the Workforce Wellness Strategy Framework, which is the main outcome and goal of the Workforce Wellness Strategy.
5 First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework. Thunderbird. (2015). https://thunderbirdpf.org/?resources=first-nations-mental-wellness-continuum-framework
6 First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework Implementation Guide. 2018. Accessed April 5, 2023. https://thunderbirdpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/FNMWC_implementation_guide.pdf
First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework
WELLNESS FOCUS AREA
INDIVIDUAL
Wellness Workers in First Nations communities are working in complex and diverse environments where there is a significant lack of funding and resources to support the growing demand and need for mental wellness services. To provide the best care possible for clients, the overall wellness of the Wellness Workers needs to be prioritized and, in particular, the unique issues Wellness Workers are faced with, given the high potential for vicarious and internalized trauma.
On the journey to supporting worker wellness, we must focus on the individual and support that individual in their awareness, reflection, and evaluation of their overall wellness. Consideration for diversity amongst Wellness Workers, particularly related to their history, experience, and current workload, needs to be considered in applying approaches to match unique individual needs.
It is critical for Wellness Workers to have adaptable resources and tools in place that support their selfawareness and understanding of how that positively
contributes to their ability to support clients. By applying the same strategies in their own self-care that they are teaching others, they are in turn supporting their client’s wellness. Space for regular and ongoing self-reflection is also needed for the Wellness Workers to understand what they need on an ongoing basis regarding resources and tools and how that may change over time. Lastly, self-evaluation is needed for the Wellness Workers to make sure they are implementing their wellness strategies and regularly checking in with peers, supervisors, and cultural supports on how their wellness journey is progressing.
There are three (3) themes that emerged from the engagement with the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce, which are focused on the Wellness Workers as an individual and their responsibility for wellness:
The First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (FNMWCF) 7 identifies regularly scheduled debriefing, support sessions with Elders, and clinical supervision as a way to promote and support employee wellness.7 The journey of overall wellness for Wellness Workers starts with the individual, but the organizational environment and systems also have a critical role in supporting Wellness Workers on their wellness journeys. SelfEvaluation SelfAwareness
1.1 SELF-AWARENESS
Strategies for Self-Awareness:
1.1.1 Self-determine your wellness level and if you have the needed supports and systems in place to support wellness maintenance, management, and improvement.
“You are asking a question to look outside of yourself... Do I have the things I need to do the work and honour who I am... or am I doing the opposite? If a worker doesn’t recognize and have self-awareness, then things will continue to get worse. Even with resources, if you don’t know how to use them nothing will get better. Knowing when your cup is full.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
1.1.2 Identify and explore support for Wellness Workers that encourage awareness of their individual state of wellness and needs. This could include Elders, counsellors, peer supports, or other cultural supports.
“It was the Elder that trained me to focus on the individual and not the system.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Self-Awareness includes:
• Ability to recognize for oneself when feeling out of balance and in need of wellness support.
• Ability to recognize underlying and unresolved trauma including vicarious trauma.
• Ability to recognize and identify values and boundaries.
7 First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework. Thunderbird Partnership Foundation. (2015). p. 48. https://thunderbirdpf.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/05/FNMWC-Full_EN_WEB2023frameworks.pdf
1.1 SELF-AWARENESS
1.1.3 Arrange regular check-ins between supervisors and Wellness Workers to discuss the state of wellness and what supports, or changes are needed to encourage wellness.
1.1.4 Identify and engage in training designed to support Wellness Workers to recognize and address unresolved and vicarious trauma as well as boundaries.
1.1.5 Explore wellness supports outside of the work environment, including family, friends, and community.
• This action is supported in the FNMWCF Implementation Guide as it describes community, family, Elders, and Cultural Identity as the primary facilitators of wellness. Arrange regular check-ins between supervisors and Wellness Workers to discuss the state of wellness and what supports, or changes are needed to encourage wellness.
1.2 SELF-REFLECTION
Strategies for Self-Reflection:
1.2.1 Undertake self-reflection with compassion.
1.2.2 Make self-reflection an everyday practice that is regular and ongoing. Schedule automated calendar reminders, written notes, or other reminders to build a habit.
1.2.3 Ask yourself if you have fulfillment at work and what is needed to feel fulfilled.
1.2.4 Develop a personal wellness plan that includes regular check-ins with a supervisor to support growth and achievement. This could include education and training needs as well as forms of support such as supervisory, cultural, peer, or other. As noted in the FNMWCF Implementation Guide, this exercise can be the first step in creating your vision for wellness.
• The personal wellness plan and approach are dedicated to the individual’s healing journey. This may include reaching out to community Elders and Knowledge Keepers for support and may also be supported by counselling and wellness programs.
Self-Reflection includes:
• Ability to recognize what is needed to support one’s overall wellness.
• Evaluation of one’s sense of being balanced spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally.
• Having a space where employees can recognize their own level of wellness.
“Wellness workers have healthy boundaries with community members and supervisors to communicate when they are at [their] limit; ability to ask for help/ resources, etc.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
“Reflection is an ongoing process. Healing is an ongoing process and something that needs to be viewed as a circle with no beginning and no end.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
1.3 SELF-EVALUATION
Strategies for Self-Evaluation:
1.3.1 Develop a self-evaluation tool to support Wellness Workers in recognizing their own state of wellness.
• This tool can be used regularly and built into regular routines similar to other policies and procedures.
• The self-evaluation tool can be used in collaboration with the personal wellness plan and can provide opportunities for regular checkins with peers, supervisors, cultural support, and other needed resources.
• Work towards growth and achievement in the same way that one would under a professional development plan or similar.
“Wellness happens when you are taking care of yourself and feel balanced while also feeling good about being able to take care of others in your family, community, and clients.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Self-Evaluation includes:
• Regularly reviewing and evaluating your personal wellness plan (see Theme: Self-Reflection, page 19) and making adjustments as required.
• Having the time and resources needed to support clients while at the same time having the time and resources for self-care.
• Ability to maintain personal and emotional stability while performing required duties.
• Putting strategies made during self-awareness and self-reflection into action.
WELLNESS FOCUS AREA ORGANIZATIONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL
The organization is responsible for creating an environment that encourages the well-being of Wellness Workers; allowing them to pursue their self-determined wellness journey.
While the individual wellness worker is responsible for their own mental wellness, the organization has the responsibility to create the foundation for the worker to be safe and holistically supported. This is aligned and supported by the FNMWCF Implementation Guide which references the need to consider how policies, programs, and services not only impact the individual, but their families and communities as well.
“As you think about all the ways the FNMWC framework can be applied towards mental wellness, you must think beyond the impact of policy, programming or services for the individual and consider the impact on family and community as well. Think about the current context of First Nations communities and their capacity, their strengths, and the role of relationships within community, Elders, and cultural relationships defined as clans. It will be important to think beyond current crisis, challenges and issues to identify the strength of the community – and how strength is grounded in and comes from the culture of the people”
(FNMWCF Implementation Guide Page 9).
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
In addition, the FNMWCF Implementation Guide identifies services that benefit and support mental wellness. These identified services can be offered by the organization or environment for Wellness
Workers to access and utilize and may include:
• Health Promotion, Prevention, Community Development, and Education
• Early Identification and Intervention
• Crisis Response (leveraging assets)
• Coordination of Care and Care Planning (circle of care)
• Withdrawal Management (detox)
• Trauma-informed Treatment
• Support and Aftercare
• Cultural supports (ceremony, medicines, access to Elders, etc.)
It was clear throughout the engagement process with the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce (FNMWW) that a workplace culture that is based on the values of safety, trust, respect, and access to cultural supports, directly contributes to worker wellness.
Creating this workplace environment means supporting five (5) key themes:
Network of Support
Wellness Plans & Activities
Policies, Procedures, & Practices
Administrative Functions
Relationship Building & Advocacy
Administrative Functions
Relationship Building & Advocacy
Network of Support
Wellness Plans & Activities
Policies, Procedures, & Practices
Unidentified Quote Attributions
Wellness Worker during engagement process
2.1 NETWORK OF SUPPORT
Network of Support includes:
• The establishment of a broader support network that provides opportunities for peers and other practitioners to connect and share information.
• Strengthening the support network by creating a safe and comfortable space for Wellness Workers to heal in safely.
• The workplace environment, workplace culture, and the people within it are part of the network and support circle.
“Any one of us can be a patient at any time. Every patient has the right to get those services.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Strategies for Network of Support:
2.1.1 Establish a multidisciplinary support network for Wellness Workers.
“The one thing that helped me the most in the last three years. I was in a cohort connected to psychotherapists internationally, and we took a course and met regularly. I am grateful to spend time with other practitioners in an intimate way. Looking at a model of compassion and working through things as we are going through them… Intimate networks of support helped me through the pandemic and also respond to crises and bounce back when things are difficult. Having a practicing place that supports our journey. We don’t stop healing.”
2.1.2 Establish a tool for friends and family of Wellness Workers to understand how to support them.
• The families and friends of Wellness Workers may not have the expertise to know what to do when their loved worker needs their support. Developing tools to support Wellness Workers in creating stronger relationships at home also helps them when they return to work.
“That as helpers we are taking care of our mental/emotional/physical/spiritual well-being to keep us well, so we are good for ourselves, our families and then others.”
2.1 NETWORK OF SUPPORT
2.1.3 Establish an annual gathering on the land for Wellness Workers to gather.
• Create safe and comfortable spaces for Wellness Workers to gather, eat, learn, connect and heal from within. The space could be an opportunity to break away from the highdemand schedule and urgency of the regular work week, by establishing flexible agendas and organic learning opportunities that will help to calm and connect the senses.
“Being out there on the land...not for three days or anything...even a short time… But have an Elder, Medicine Man... teachings. Opportunity to share… we were all mental health workers... We shared our experiences. We can all relate. If I am having a difficult time, they can share things that help because they do the same work. Relationships. You can keep in contact through email later on.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
2.1.4 Work environments encourage and provide the time needed for employees to build relationships so that there is an opportunity to learn from one another, collaborate, network, connect, and check-in to offer support.
2.2 WELLNESS PLANS & ACTIVITIES
Strategies for Wellness Plans & Activities:
2.2.1 Establish a process for developing and implementing Worker Wellness Plans (see Theme: Self-Reflection, page 19).
• The management of the organization must be leaders in mental wellness by ensuring their workers prioritize and are mindful of their own wellness.
• Developing a mandatory process for creating and implementing Worker Wellness Plans will reflect the importance of this priority to the organization.
• Develop and distribute Worker Wellness Plan templates to adapt to the needs of the organization.
2.2.2 Develop a training program for managers related to how to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of employee Worker Wellness Plans.
• Supervisors can incorporate scheduled checkins to evaluate the progress of the employee’s Worker Wellness Plan and provide advice and support as required.
“Wellness Workers are stretched thin, overworked, experience vicarious trauma and often put self-care on the back burner.”
Wellness Plans & Activities include:
• Organizations being responsible for ensuring the employees have opportunities to develop and implement their plans.
“Being supported by coworkers, friends, family... that I can recognize for myself when I am not well and be balanced. I feel safe and taken care of at my organization. Having the parameters to do the work that doesn’t take away from who I am. How do I take care of myself and how does that show up in the workplace.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
2.2
WELLNESS PLANS & ACTIVITIES
2.2.3 Establish an annual schedule of ‘wellness activities’ that align with the goals of Worker Wellness Plans.
2.2.4 Create wellness spaces where people can access Elders and other cultural supports without judgement.
“There has to be a safe way to relate to each other that communicates compassion and understanding. And to recognize when coworkers are struggling... How do we understand and support them? When we do one-on-one visiting, it helps understand the client and what they are going through and similarly how the workers are doing and how they are facing. An informal way of connecting with each other... it is confidential... finding ways of sharing and hearing one another to work through the challenges that they are facing.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
2.3 POLICIES, PROCEDURES, & PRACTICES
Strategies for Policies, Procedures, & Practices:
2.3.1 Develop wellness policies and procedures that are focused on the health and balance of all employees.
• When developing these policies and procedures, it is important to ask employees what their needs are, develop solutions together, and make efforts to implement them.
• Policies and procedures should be specific to the nature of the work that teams and employees are doing.
• Examples of supporting policies to consider include:
• Progressive discipline based on teachings. Instead of fast-escalating discipline mechanisms, a process of supporting workers in their growth and development could provide them with opportunities to succeed.
• A right to disconnect policy. By acknowledging that while work is important, it is also important to take care of one’s self and family. Employees will not be penalized for not being available outside of regular work hours.
• Compensation policies that outline how employees working outside of regular work hours are being compensated.
• Bereavement leave should consider the cultural and spiritual practices of employees.
Policies, Procedures, & Practices includes:
• Having policies and procedures specifically related to supporting worker wellness that are built into organizational practices and processes.
• Ensuring policies and procedures focus on organizational culture, health, safety, and wellness.
• Creating and amending policies and procedures to be flexible and solution-focused.
“…investment
in organizational processes – because without policies and knowledge of these policies, there is a lot of room for confusion, inconsistencies, and mistakes. Organizational culture and wellness – when staff wellbeing is incorporated into the policy and workplace environment, staff are less likely to leave and more likely to feel appreciated. This will reduce turnover and people leaving the field. We take good care of the workers first.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
2.3 POLICIES, PROCEDURES, & PRACTICES
“…the need for policy and procedures and the challenge to have them reflect each community, and balancing all that and the capacity of doing that... Having a policy and procedures manual that accomplishes that is difficult... How do we align the policy at the organization level and then at the community level?”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
2.3.2 Develop comprehensive planning and evaluation tools related to worker wellness. This can include succession planning and knowledge transfer plans.
2.3.3 Develop training, education, and upgrading plans for employees in support of their wellness and professional development.
• Develop training and education for leadership and management specifically related to supporting employee wellness.
“Culture and Land-Based Training because we need to go back to the traditional teachings of identity, kinship, caring, and knowledge of practices to heal our youth & children. Training and Education are very important for the frontline workers to be able to pass on the knowledge they learn to others in the community.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
2.4 ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS
Administrative Functions includes:
• Creating an environment of safety that ensures administrative functions are properly funded in order to align with those wellness measures indicated within policies and procedures.
• Employees need to feel safe enough to be vulnerable and know that if they make a mistake, they will be supported.
“Safety
is a trauma-informed way of understanding and having an administration that understands what workers are doing and how they are working.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Strategies for Administrative Functions:
2.4.1 Develop a “Respect in the Workplace Policy” so that employees can come to work feeling safe and valued.
2.4.1 Implement “Mental Wellness Days” that are specific for staff to utilize throughout the year to focus on wellness. This includes providing the opportunity for employees to take the time off needed to access supports such as counselling, therapies, cultural, or other without the requirement to take sick time or unpaid time off.
2.5 RELATIONSHIP BUILDING & ADVOCACY
Strategies for Administrative Functions:
2.5.1 Build employee recognition programs that align with Worker Wellness Plans and acknowledge employee efforts in their day-to-day work and their overall wellness.
• This can be done through events where employees are recognized by their peers and supervisors.
• Recognition also creates an environment for peer-to-peer learning, support, and sharing of resources and tools.
2.5.2 Develop training for Wellness Workers that supports skill development relating to relationship building.
• This training may be centred around all relationships that support worker wellness, including connections to community members, colleagues, supervisors, community partners, and more.
• The format of this training may follow a multimodal design and be delivered online, inperson, or by a self-directed learning approach.
Relationship Building & Advocacy includes:
• Building collaborative partnerships and processes to support worker wellness at work, home, and in the community.
“Collaborating with partners, feeling energized and creative, looking at new approaches and best practices. Having time for self-care and a healthy workplace and home life balance.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
WELLNESS FOCUS AREA SYSTEMIC & POLITICAL
Investment commitments in supporting the overall well-being of Wellness Workers must be equitable, flexible, stable, long-term, and sustainable. The literature, as well as various reports and needs assessments, have indicated that the mental health system, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and communities, is severely underfunded and underresourced. The current funding models are not appropriate and there is a need for more suitable and sustainable funding and resourcing. These issues are creating significant challenges related to recruitment and retention of Wellness Workers.
Further, this inequitable resourcing and funding directly impacts the overall wellness of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce (FNMWW), and particularly Wellness Workers who are Indigenous and working with Indigenous clients and communities. The FNMWCF Implementation Guide recommends having incentives to retain workers in the FNMWW such as wage parity, flexible work schedules, and professional development opportunities.
Engagement with the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce (FNMWW) highlighted three (3) themes at a systemic and political level which can be advanced to support worker wellness:
3.1 FUNDING
Funding includes:
• The financial commitments and contributions made by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to support mental wellness amongst Indigenous Peoples, communities, and Wellness Workers.
• The recognition that chronic underfunding and under-resourcing of Indigenous-specific mental wellness programs and support for workers is a major issue across Canada that requires immediate attention.
“Equitable Compensation – hard to be motivated to provide great care if you feel you are not being paid what you are worth or the amount paid to the same positions in different systems. Sustainability of funding is always a big concern, no funding, no services.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Strategies for Funding:
3.1.1 Federal and Provincial governments need to re-evaluate the current funding models intended to support mental wellness amongst Indigenous Peoples, communities, and Wellness Workers.
• Funding models need to be suitable, equitable and sustainable.
• The FNMWCF Implementation Guide identifies the need to realign existing funding into an envelope of permanent funding that can be used with flexibility by communities to deliver the continuum of essential mental wellness services.
3.1.2 All levels of government need to undertake an infrastructure assessment to understand the current infrastructure needs amongst Indigenous communities related to mental wellness service provision.
3.1.3 All levels of government need to conduct a compensation comparison of mainstream mental wellness programs and services in comparison to Indigenous-specific mental wellness programs and services, to correctly determine what changes are required to ensure funding and compensation are fair and equitable.
3.1 FUNDING
• This assessment should also consider wage parity amongst Wellness Workers working in mainstream versus those providing services for the Indigenous population and communities.
• Supporting wage parity will support better overall well-being of Wellness Workers.
“Equitable compensation /sustainability of funding go hand in hand—need to ensure that our helpers’ basic needs are met, and they feel valued. Many people feel compensation equates to value.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
3.2 RESOURCES
Resources include:
• Having accessible tools, resources, training, supplies, equipment, and other necessary items that are essential to the role of Wellness Workers.
• Stable and continuous support for Wellness Workers based on need.
“There is a clear need in terms of human resource capacity. We have the same responsibility as the province with a fraction of the resources.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Strategies for Resources:
3.2.1 Develop a recruitment and retention plan along with required funding requirements to support the training and hiring of Indigenous mental Wellness Workers.
• One area of focus for the recruitment and retention plan should be on youth and how to create a mental health work environment that includes equitable funding and human resources, suitable training, culturally relevant supports, and equitable compensation.
• The FNMWCF Implementation Guide states the need to support community workers to retain and enhance skill development including cultural competency through ongoing clinical and cultural supervision and mentorship.
“More human resources to address the need as our complex cases require a lot of energy, time and resources. More people to respond to the demand and recognition of funders that the people we serve are dealing with complex trauma which requires more time with them and can be exhausting for our helpers/wellness workers.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
3.2.2 Develop culturally relevant training and education programs for mental wellness workers and invest in the nationwide implementation of the programs.
3.2.3 Training and education programs should focus on increasing Indigenous Competencies and Leadership Roles.
3.2.4 Invest, at a minimum, equitable funding and resources for wellness workers to access cultural supports like Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and other cultural resource people.
• Provide recognition and equitable compensation for these cultural supports.
• There may not be enough Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and other cultural resource people who can provide the needed support to workers in a culturally relevant and meaningful way. There needs to be resources invested in growing this much needed network of support. The FNMWCF Implementation Guide recommends the development of an integrated network for mental wellness workers (mental health and addictions) working in First Nations communities, broadening the network that currently exists.
“I would love to see more Indigenous art therapy practiced in our teams and have providers in our communities. We need Elders on our teams and the space to connect, sit and share and work in our offices in small communities. Staff need to feel safe, open and settled in an environment that is reflective of the culture of the community.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
3.3 POLITICAL
Strategies for Political:
3.3.1 Undertake research and analysis to determine the various sources of government funding specific to Indigenous Mental Health and Wellness and build a collaborative plan for how best to access and use those funds.
• The research should also examine how to collectively support organizations and programs with similar mandates to make the best use of available funds in supporting improved mental health and wellness across Indigenous communities in Canada.
• The FNMWCF Implementation Guide identifies the need to work towards the development of a Memoranda of Understanding between provinces, First Nations governments and communities and federal departments to improve service delivery and clarify program policies and areas of responsibility.
• Advocate for changes to funding and reporting requirements that align with the strategies identified. This could mean implementing systems like salaried positions and core funding instead of rostered and per capita models.
Political includes:
• The need to better support mental wellness amongst Indigenous Peoples and communities is highlighted in national reports and associated Calls to Action such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada9, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls10, and the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.11
“Cultural acceptance in government policies and overall government legislature that is implemented in all of the provinces and understood as coming from the sovereignty of Indigenous People.”
WELLNESS WORKER DURING ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
9 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Government of Canada. (2015). https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1450124405592/1529106060525
10 Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (2019). https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
11 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. United Nations. (2007). https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf
3.3 POLITICAL
3.3.2 Continue advocacy for governments to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada12 Call to Action #21, which states:
“We call upon the federal government to provide sustainable funding for existing and new Aboriginal healing centres to address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harms caused by residential schools, and to ensure that the funding of healing centres in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories is a priority.”
3.3.2 Continue advocacy for governments to implement relevant articles from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples13 including:
Article 7, 1 which states: “Indigenous individuals have the rights to life, physical and mental integrity, liberty and security of person.”
Article 24, 2 which states: “Indigenous individuals have an equal right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. States shall take the necessary steps with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of this right.”
3.3.3 Continue advocacy for governments to implement relevant calls to Justice from Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls14 including:
“3.4: We call upon all governments to ensure that all Indigenous communities receive immediate and necessary resources, including funding and support, for the establishment of sustainable, permanent, no-barrier, preventative, accessible, holistic, wraparound services, including mobile trauma and addictions recovery teams. We further direct that trauma and addictions treatment programs be paired with other essential services such as mental health services and sexual exploitation and trafficking services as they relate to each individual case of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people”
12 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. National Centre For Truth and Reconciliation. (n.d.). https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
13 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. United Nations. (n.d.). https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/migrated/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf
14 The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (2019, May 29). https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
3.3 POLITICAL
“7.3: We call upon all governments and health service providers to support Indigenous-led prevention initiatives in the areas of health and community awareness, including, but not limited to programming:
• for Indigenous men and boys
• related to suicide prevention strategies for youth and adults
• related to sexual trafficking awareness and no-barrier exiting
• specific to safe and healthy relationships
• specific to mental health awareness
• related to 2SLGBTQQIA issues and sex positivity”
“14.6: We call upon Correctional Service Canada and provincial and territorial services to provide intensive and comprehensive mental health, addictions, and trauma services for incarcerated Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, ensuring that the term of care is needs-based and not tied to the duration of incarceration. These plans and services must follow the individuals as they reintegrate into the community.”
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
The well-being of many individuals, families, and communities is directly supported by the culturally appropriate mental wellness services offered by the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce (FNMWW).
These services are delivered amidst challenging and varied environments characterized by inequitable and unstable funding, inadequate support, and scarcity of resources and tools, which directly affects the wellness of those workers. Finding pathways to support the well-being of this hardworking workforce is essential to ensure the FNMWW can continue providing optimal support to the communities and members they serve.
The Workforce Wellness Strategy aims to support the wellness of the workers who comprise the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce, be reflective of the current realities they work in, and provide pathways, strategies, and recommendations to be implemented in meaningful ways. This strategy is informed by the workers who comprise the FNMWW, is grounded in the guiding principles that reflect the importance of relationships, safety, and collective responsibility, and is guided by the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (FNMWCF). It is essential to recognize how the themes of hope, belonging, meaning, and purpose intersect with the services provided by, and wellness of, the FNMWW. Throughout the engagement process, Wellness Workers consistently indicated that having culture as a foundation, being relational people, and having equitable resourcing were amongst the most important factors that influenced their own wellness.
To enhance the wellness of the FNMWW, it is necessary to support all three Wellness Focus Areas: Individual, Organizational & Environmental, and Systemic & Political. This strategy unpacks these three areas with themes, descriptions, and specific strategies that aim to support the wellness of the FNMWW and the overall implementation of the Workforce Wellness Strategy. The Wellness Focus Areas, Themes, and Strategies are based on what was shared through the engagement process with Wellness Workers. All these elements are intended to support individuals, organizations, and systems to understand the current context related to worker wellness, why it is important, and how to take action. Further, the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework Implementation Guide is a helpful resource tool that can be used in collaboration with this strategy to advance implementation.
The strategies described throughout the Workforce Wellness Strategy can guide:
The shared responsibility that all governments, organizations, individuals, and all involved in the mental wellness space have in supporting worker wellness.
Developing and implementing wellness strategies such as a guideline for developing, implementing, and evaluating worker wellness plans.
Discussion amongst individuals, teams, and networks related to what aspects of the strategy resonate with them and how they can work together on implementation.
Supporting capacity through the establishment of a network of experts and supports particularly related to mental wellness strategies. Advocating for equitable funding and resources.
The informing of governments and funders on how to offer investment commitments that support the wellness of the FNMWW and are equitable, flexible, stable, long-term, and sustainable.
The Workforce Wellness Strategy, its guiding principles, and Wellness Focus Areas are all centred around “Worker Wellness” and the overall wellness of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce. It is the fundamental goal of this strategy to enhance the wellness of the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce, and in turn, advance the well-being of First Nations individuals, families, and communities across what is now known as Canada.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In addition to the strategies found in the Wellness Focus Areas, the following recommendations are proposed to advance the implementation of the Workforce Wellness Strategy:
4.1 Develop Resources and Tools for Wellness Workers
4.1.1 Develop toolkits, tools, resources, and other supports based on the strategies found in the Wellness Focus Areas that will support worker wellness and advance the overall implementation of the strategy.
4.2 Develop and Implement Wellness Training and Curriculum
4.2.1 Based on the strategies found in the Wellness Focus Areas, develop training and curriculum that organizations can use for implementation.
4.2.2 Develop and implement training on the strategy that promotes worker wellness, promotes the Workforce Wellness Strategy, and continues to generate discussion of ideas, networking, and sharing of wise practices.
4.2.3 Develop training that can be tailored based on who is intended to benefit (Individual, Organization, Funder/Government).
4.3 Develop a Virtual Resource Library
4.3.1 Develop an online space where the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce can share tools and strategies, support peer support and networking, and other features that support worker wellness.
4.3.2 Host materials that support worker wellness on the virtual resource library, including tools, resources, materials, training, and curriculum.
4.4 Pilot Wellness Initiatives with the Workforce
4.4.1 Establish a Workforce Wellness Implementation Team to support implementing (piloting) curriculum, training, tools, and resources within the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce.
4.4.2 Enhance curriculum, training, tools, and resources and develop a plan to have them shared widely amongst the First Nations Mental Wellness Workforce.
4.5 Advocate for Proactive Investment
4.5.1 Use the Workforce Wellness Strategy and the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework to continue to advocate for suitable, equitable, and sustainable funding and resourcing for essential mental wellness services and programs that are First Nations focused.
