1. Aboriginal World Views of Mental Health Cyndy Baskin, PhD School of Social Work Ryerson University July 6, 2007 JEMH Conference

2. Questions To Consider… HOW DO ABORIGINAL WORLD VIEWS CONCEPTUALIZE MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING? HOW DO ABORIGINAL WORLD VIEWS CONCEPTUALIZE MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WHEN DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WHEN DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING? UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS CAN WESTERN TREATMENT AND ABORIGINAL APPROACHES WORK WELL TOGETHER? UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS CAN WESTERN TREATMENT AND ABORIGINAL APPROACHES WORK WELL TOGETHER?

3. Overall Approach… ADVOCATE FOR WORKING CLOSELY AND IN A COMPLEMENTARY MANNER WITH ABORIGINAL HEALERS IN TRAINING, CONSULTATION AND TREATMENT ADVOCATE FOR WORKING CLOSELY AND IN A COMPLEMENTARY MANNER WITH ABORIGINAL HEALERS IN TRAINING, CONSULTATION AND TREATMENT ACCEPT THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS MAY HAVE SPIRITUAL CAUSES OR BIOLOGICAL CAUSES AND THAT BOTH ABORIGINAL AND WESTERN MEDICINE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO HELP ACCEPT THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS MAY HAVE SPIRITUAL CAUSES OR BIOLOGICAL CAUSES AND THAT BOTH ABORIGINAL AND WESTERN MEDICINE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO HELP EURO-CANADIAN HELPERS NEED TO BE RESPECTFUL, COOPERATIVE AND WORK WITHIN A MODALITY WHICH INCLUDES TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL HEALING METHODS EURO-CANADIAN HELPERS NEED TO BE RESPECTFUL, COOPERATIVE AND WORK WITHIN A MODALITY WHICH INCLUDES TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL HEALING METHODS CHOICE FOR A SERVICE USER IS CENTRAL WITHIN HEALING/TREATMENT CHOICE FOR A SERVICE USER IS CENTRAL WITHIN HEALING/TREATMENT

4. Mental Health Struggles… DEPRESSION DEPRESSION PHOBIAS AND ANXIETIES PHOBIAS AND ANXIETIES POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER SCHIZOPHRENIA, BI-POLAR & PSYCHOSIS SCHIZOPHRENIA, BI-POLAR & PSYCHOSIS

5. Challenges… DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS & BUILDING TRUST DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS & BUILDING TRUST IMPACTS OF COLONIZATION IMPACTS OF COLONIZATION SERVICES FITTING INTO THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND SERVICES FITTING INTO THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND DIFFERENCES IN WORLD VIEWS DIFFERENCES IN WORLD VIEWS TEAM WORKING AS A COLLECTIVE & BEING SELF- REFLEXIVE TEAM WORKING AS A COLLECTIVE & BEING SELF- REFLEXIVE

6. Aboriginal Approaches… HOLISTIC HOLISTIC CULTURE-BASED CULTURE-BASED IDENTITY IDENTITY IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS SPIRITUALITY SPIRITUALITY FAMILY & COMMUNITY BASED FAMILY & COMMUNITY BASED

7. Interconnectedness: Four Aspects of a Person…

8. Interconnectedness: To All in Creation…

9. Working Together… CALMING & GROUNDING TOWARDS INFORMED CHOICE CALMING & GROUNDING TOWARDS INFORMED CHOICE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CEREMONIES CONTRIBUTIONS OF CEREMONIES CONTRIBUTIONS OF WESTERN PRACTITIONERS CONTRIBUTIONS OF WESTERN PRACTITIONERS

10. Meegwetch (thank you)… WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW? WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?