pdf download - First Nations Health Council

This interactive forum theatre facilitated
dialogue about all of the environments that First
Nations youth move through. The issues and
solutions identified during the workshop related
to:
• Workers so focused on funding issues and lack
of resources that they lose sight of the people
in crisis
• No/little on-reserve programming
• Community workers often related to community
and always responding to crisis get burned
out – there is no relief in sight
• When a person comes to you with an issue find
out how that issue is affecting them and help
that person address those as well. Often this is
quite different than the problem they initially
came to speak about.
• Funding formulas do not allow small bands to
get and maintain clinicians to support front line
workers, or to have early response capacity.
• Family and band can get together to support
the people who have suffered loss by making
ceremonial practices part of the response.
• Sharing of a personal stories that were reflected
in the forum theatre skit:
• Those who are struggling in their positions or
with these issues are our teachers and need
to be encouraged to never quit. As a newly
elected band councilor who wasn’t mentored
someone needs to mentor and honour our
young people as they being to deal with these
issues and take these roles in our community.
• Youth have to take it upon themselves to begin
asking for guidance/advice of the Elders.
• Youth just want some adult to take the time to
talk with them.
• Youth engagement has to be meaningful and
real, and this can be accomplished by involving
them from the start and ensuring that they
understand the process they are to be involved
in …otherwise it’s just activities.
• Ensure there is follow-up whenever is an indication
of hopelessness or suicide ideation.
• One person interjected the voice of the youth
that had committed suicide, encouraging those
left behind to go forward with a voice of kindness
not a voice of hurt and anger.
• Utilize education and awareness to help people
understand and know how to deal with their
issues.
• Staff need to demonstrate that they love their
work and are committed to deal with the communities
issues – in order to do this the staff
need to be able to air their concerns and ideas
so they can work on a level playing field.
• Two approaches are in play – dealing with the
problems that exist in the short term; and engaging
in long term prevention work.
• Creating a direct relationship with senior officials
at all levels, especially outside of your
area, so that there is the possibility of a quicker
response.
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VANCOUVER, bC • mAY 20 - 21 , 2008