Investment overview: The Supporting the Mental Health of Those Most Affected by the COVID–19 Pandemic Fund

The Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub for Mental Health Promotion (KDE Hub) is led by Renison University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo. The KDE Hub supported projects funded through the COVID-19 Mental Health investment by:

• providing access to evidence and resources in the field of mental health promotion and mental illness prevention
  • The KDE Hub aimed to build community and capacity among these projects
• fostering knowledge development and sharing, created across and within projects
• amplifying learnings from the investment for a broader, lasting impact across Canada

Through this project, the Canadian Red Cross further distributed funds to 172 community-based organizations across Canada. These funds supported organizations to:

• address increased demand for mental health services
• adapt new models of mental health promotion and prevention
• support those whose mental health and well-being have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

The WrapAround program, led by Acorn Family Place, supported families in Winnipeg with children ages 0 to 6. These children were involved with, or were at risk of being involved with, Child Family Services (CFS). The program worked to:

• reduce social isolation
• help build relationships
• increase parent-child connection
• provide the support needed to prevent and minimize separation through CFS
• support goal planning to close CFS files and help with reunification

Families involved in the program benefitted from access to:

• basic needs
• peer support
• cultural connections
• stronger support networks
• help with family reunification
• family participation in programming
• regular contact with support workers
• support with navigating resources like Jordan's Principle, housing, and more

Led by the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA), this project was designed to:

• address gaps in mental health services
• increase understanding of the mental health needs of newcomers, including refugee communities in Alberta

AAISA worked in partnership with CMHA-Edmonton, Distress Centre Calgary, and 211 Alberta. Together they supported the creation and delivery of mental health-related training courses, and a mental health supports audit tool.

This tool allowed settlement and integration agencies to assess the strengths and gaps in their existing mental health supports for newcomer clients. It was hosted by AAISA and promoted mental health resources and referrals for coordinated service delivery.

This project, led by The Alex, delivered culturally-adapted case management programming to support Indigenous youth. The project engaged Indigenous Elders to provide more cultural supports and teachings. A peer support model was also included in the project framework to:

• increase identity
• increase spirituality
• support healing in Indigenous youth
• increase connection to traditional culture

For vulnerable youth in Calgary aged 12 to 24 years, The Alex's Youth Health Centre provided:

• integrated primary healthcare, social services and wellness support
• a dedicated, multidisciplinary team of:
  • nurses
  • physicians
  • social workers
  • mental health clinicians
• a safe, supportive place for youth to gather and work to develop care plans that meet the goals they identify for themselves

Led by A Way Home Canada, this project scaled-up and evaluated a mental health promotion intervention called "Family and Natural Supports." This intervention was designed to:

• prevent youth homelessness, by supporting:
  • youth
  • their families
  • their natural supports
• strengthen their connections
• enhance their wellbeing

This project used a holistic and trauma-informed approach to help prepare young people in their transition to adulthood. A Way Home Canada worked with 10 youth-serving organizations who were selected in partnership with the National Learning Community on Youth Homelessness. This pan-Canadian network of youth-serving organizations worked to implement and refine the Family and Natural Supports intervention by:

• facilitating dedicated communities of practice
• providing coaching, program support, and training

This project, led by the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention, worked to address the counselling needs of African, Caribbean, and Black 2SLGBTQI+ community members who experience mental health issues. Community members were supported through a range of program activities, including:

• one-to-one supports
• peer-based supports
• brief, solution-focused supports and referrals
• group programming to address mental health and harm reduction

This project built on existing evidenced-based trauma models to deliver trauma-informed services in an environment where service users:

• would not experience further (re)traumatization
• could make decisions about their mental health and HIV-related needs at a pace that feels safe

This project, led by Black Mental Health Canada, expanded the delivery of an existing online curriculum. It aimed to build capacity among clinicians to provide Black clients with:

• culturally-safe and appropriate mental health counselling
• support with experiencing racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress

This project reached mental health clinicians across Canada, including:

• Black providers treating Black individuals
• non-Black providers working in areas with high proportions of Black clientele

ACT aimed to provide an Afrocentric lens and framework for practitioners' treatment and support for their Black and Black-identifying clients.

Led by Bridges for Women Society, the Indigenous Women’s Bridging program aimed to break the cycle of trauma by supporting Indigenous women in:

• learning
• developing self-knowledge, skills and networks
• recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships
• fostering personal growth and financial security

The program was tailored to recognize and respond to the unique needs, strengths and learning styles of Indigenous Peoples by:

• delivering group and individual supports that strengthen protective factors for good mental health
• recognizing the complexities of intergenerational trauma and colonialism and its effects on family and community life
• enhancing equity that keeps Indigenous women and their families mentally healthy long-term, by enabling access to:
  • skills
  • resources
  • supportive environments

This project built on previous work completed by the Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health (CCSMH), which operates under the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry. It leveraged existing relationships to combine current evidence for mental health promotion and prevention supports. This helped to address the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This work promoted and protected the mental health of older adults by paying specific attention to:

• the knowledge synthesis and mobilization of 2 best-evidence clinical guidelines:
  • Anxiety in older adults
  • The behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
• knowledge mobilization of prior guidelines relating to depression and substance use

The Healing Through Relationships project was led by the Canadian Mothercraft Society. The project aimed to decrease COVID-related isolation. It enhanced mental health outcomes for mothers in Toronto experiencing trauma, and their young children aged 0 to 6 years, by:

• using a wrap-around, community-based model
• offering instrumental support and a focused parenting intervention
• providing in-person access to a broad range of health and social services in 1 location

In addition, Healing Through Relationships offered an 8-week Circle of Security parenting intervention to:

• promote secure attachment
• improve the relationship capacity of mothers
• reduce risk factors for mental health problems in infants and young children throughout life

The Friendly Calls program, led by Canadian Red Cross, is designed to help people feel more connected to their community. It matches people over the age of 18 with a trained Red Cross personnel, who:

• provide emotional support
• connect regularly to check-in
• encourage healthy coping strategies
• suggests well-being resources and community connections to other existing services

With the aim of enhancing social connectedness and well-being, this program focuses on reaching:

• parents
• caregivers
• older adults
• frontline workers
• Indigenous Peoples
• anyone who could benefit from greater connection
• anyone who may have limited social and family links

Program participants can receive regular support over the phone for encouragement and the power of feeling heard.

Led by the Centre for Resilience and Social Development, the Halumbe Wellness Project promoted the mental health and well-being of Black youth in the Ottawa School District, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period.

Through culturally-relevant mental health interventions, the project:

• helped reduce stigma
• improved access to mental health support services for Black youth
• promoted resilience and helped build capacity among the Black community
• raised awareness of the role that the social determinants of health play in shaping barriers to access
• increased knowledge of the unique mental health needs and challenges faced by Black youth in Canada among:
  • parents
  • teachers
  • administrators

The "Mental Health is our Sport" project aimed to overcome stigma and facilitate conversations around mental health. It focussed on increasing mental health literacy among coaches, teachers, and community leaders working with sport participants from diverse backgrounds, including those who are:

• from remote communities
• newcomers to Canada
• persons with disabilities
• equity-deserving groups
• Indigenous communities
• Canadian Armed Forces members and their families

With this funding, the Coaching Association of Canada collaborated with a network of partner organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport. Together, they supported coaches across the country by providing access to education and resources. This project also updated and adapted existing mental health content from subject matter experts into educational training modules. These resources are accessible in the Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub, empowering coaches with the knowledge and tools needed to support mental wellness in their communities.

This pan-Canadian project was led by the Community-Based Research Centre. It adapted and delivered 'Investigaytors', a 2S/LGBTQIA+ focussed community-based research and health leadership program. Participants received a curriculum that included:

• techniques to improve mental health outcomes
• methods to enhance mental health knowledge and capacity
• training on developing and delivering mental health promotion interventions, aimed to address the needs and experiences of peers

In addition, the project worked with Two-Spirit and Indigenous partners to deliver a new version of 'Investigaytors' to reach Two-Spirit communities more effectively. It incorporated:

• Indigenous ways of knowing
• Indigenous research methodologies
• culturally-safe mental health knowledge and interventions

The Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN) supported 47 community-based projects across the province of Quebec. The project worked to extend mental health promotion programs and supports to the English-speaking population affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

English-speaking groups reached included:

• youth
• older adults
• low-income families
• members of BIPOC communities
• those living in rural and isolated regions

To maximize knowledge exchange and support, the projects were linked together under a Community of Practice. The CHSSN also developed a collection of promising practices.

This project, led by Dalhousie University, worked to help previously incarcerated individuals of African ancestry and their families. Mobilizing Partnerships sought to build sustainable support networks to help with reintegration into the community. It focused on developing wellness and mental health promotion programming that:

• was culturally-responsive and competent
• could be used in correctional facilities and the Black community across Nova Scotia

This programming took an intersectional approach to addressing overall health, including individual mental health needs. It emphasized a holistic and community-centred approach that served as a continuum between:

• the community
• correctional facilities
• community-based organizations

Through its partnerships, the project mobilized existing resources to lessen gaps among individuals of African descent that are associated with:

• stigma
• recidivism
• violence prevention
• adverse mental health outcomes

Through a partnership with Body Brave, Eating Disorders Nova Scotia expanded their existing peer support programs nationally. The Body Peace Program allowed those aged 14 and over across Canada to virtually access:

• self-paced learning materials
• curated reading, videos and reflections
• peer support including groups, mentoring and in-the-moment support

An implementation guide was also developed to enable communities across Canada to create and implement their own peer support programs.

This project, led by Families Matter Society of Calgary, increased access to responsive support services for Black parents struggling with perinatal mood disorders. Through collaboration and community outreach, the project meaningfully involved parents in the delivery of mental health support in Calgary and surrounding rural communities.

First Peoples Wellness Circle is creating the 'Gathering Our Knowledge Bundles Development and Implementation Guide' to enhance the capacity of the First Nation Mental Wellness (FNMW) workforce. Using culture as the foundation, this project supports collaboration across communities to adapt and develop mental wellness resources. First Peoples Wellness Circle is also developing a collection of resources that are:

• community-owned
• self-determined
• culturally relevant

Meaningful community collaboration with diverse perspectives is being ensured by a National Advisory Circle and Regional Circle that includes:

• Elders
• Knowledge Carriers
• FNMW workforce members

The Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario built capacity among Black Canadians and Africans in diaspora communities in Canada. The project implemented culturally-focused and relevant Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses and community programs, to increase community capacity to address the unique barriers arising from:

• a lack of knowledge about mental health
• inadequate access to mental health resources and supports

Led by Gilbert Centre for Social and Support Services, this project built upon the existing QT Youth Connection Discord program. The program offered a virtual drop-in community space for youth who were:

• ages 12 to 29
• in the Simcoe-Muskoka region
• queer, transgender, and questioning

This project provided youth with opportunities to:

• learn life skills
• build community
• access gender-affirming resources
• create supportive coping strategies to improve their mental health and overall well-being

Indus Community Services provided wrap-around support to youth ages 16 to 28 in Peel Region's South Asian communities, including:

• newcomers
• refugee youth
• international students

The project:

• supported their mental and emotional health
• addressed settlement challenges by working closely with established multi-disciplinary community partners

This proven model was achieved through a culturally-responsive mental health promotion curriculum for youth. This curriculum was delivered through:

• "Chai and Chat" sessions
• Psychoeducational-social groups
• "Circle of Care" support sessions for families, to better equip them to support youth dealing with mental and emotional health challenges

Through this project, Jack.org scaled and adapted their "Jack Talks" and "Be There" programs to deliver peer-to-peer mental health education and skill-building. These programs reached youth aged 13 to 24 across Canada, including those who are:

• Indigenous
• newcomers
• South Asian
• Francophone

The project is also creating and promoting an accessible digital library of mental health resources and content, which educators can use in conjunction with Jack Talks. This digital library is helping educators create lesson plans that are specific to students' mental health needs and interests.

Kids Help Phone (KHP) worked to support the mental wellness of young people across Canada, including those in rural and remote regions and those who are:

• Black
• newcomers
• Indigenous
• living in underserved communities

In partnership with their established advisory committees, KHP scaled their proven programs and services to reach more youth from equity deserving communities and reflect the diversity of Canada. This included:

• expanding programs and services nationally to serve Indigenous communities
• working in partnership with Black and newcomer communities to better serve young people

The Counsellor in the Classroom program, which was intended for youth in grades 6 to 8 and grades 9 to 12, was also expanded to reach youth in grades 4 and 5. It implemented initiatives to demystify mental health and promote help-seeking behaviour by:

• providing a lesson and activities for educators
• including a video call with a KHP counsellor to identify sources of support

The Umoja Project, led by The Abiona Centre, developed and tested a community-based home-visiting model to improve and promote:

• resilience
• positive mental health
• educational attainment and outcomes

The Umoja Project was designed for hard-to-engage Black adolescent mothers and their children living in Toronto. Drawing from successful home visiting models, the Umoja Project engaged professionals and paraprofessionals to support Black families in their own homes and schools. The project also offered essential services to help:

• find housing
• stay in school
• receive mental health support
• access health care and other critical resources

The Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) is working in partnership with LivingWorks to:

• build response capacity and confidence within Métis communities
• provide community members with information and resources on:
  • suicide prevention
  • life promotion

By utilizing the evidence-based suicide prevention programming created by LivingWorks, MNBC is delivering 3 suicide prevention courses for Métis individuals and communities across BC. These courses include:

• safeTALK
• LivingWorks Start
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

This initiative builds on evidence-based practices for suicide prevention while weaving in Métis ways of knowing. Métis facilitators are being trained to deliver safeTALK and ASIST, which will:

• enhance capacity for Métis individuals and communities
• promote mental health in safe, effective and trauma-informed ways

Through this initiative, MNBC is also developing a Métis adaptation of the safeTALK course. It will become a permanent resource for future deliveries of safeTALK courses, ensuring cultural safety and contexts for future Métis participants.

Using a traditional and contemporary hands-on approach, the youth of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak built awareness, knowledge, and skills for wellness. They built mental health literacy through:

• art
• research
• discussion
• storytelling
• land-based activity

Using the cultural, traditional, and spiritual practices of the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak people, the project:

• built positive engagement
• recreated connections that were lost through COVID, between:
  • youth
  • their families
  • their communities

Youth in grades 10 to 12 participated in a curriculum-based course and planned their Youth Wellness Summit. The community also worked together to support a Circle of Care Case Management Model to ensure mental wellness protective factors and risk factors were addressed.

Moyo Health and Community Services developed a Participatory Community Theatre Program for individuals living or working in the Peel Region, and who are:

• Black
• African
• Caribbean

This program was designed to improve mental health outcomes by using an evidence-based, storytelling and participatory theatre tool. Case-based learning tools focused on social determinants of health were also developed for the target audiences.

The Trauma-informed Mental Health Support Program was led by the National Association of Friendship Centres. It empowered Friendship Centres across Canada to enhance mental health supports through a holistic approach. By integrating culturally sensitive and trauma-informed practices, this program:

• fostered resilience
• included initiatives for:
  • food security
  • family programming
  • community gathering
• bridged traditional and Western knowledge to improve overall community wellness
• created a healing environment that embraced cultural practices within mental health support services

The Y Mind and Mind Medicine Expansion project scaled-up and expanded YMCA BC's Y Mind and Mind Medicine programs to 38 communities in 6 provinces. These evidence-based programs supported those experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, who were:

• teens aged 13 to 18
• youth aged 18 to 30

These programs helped participants learn effective coping skills and improve their overall well-being using principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness techniques.

Led by Northwestern Health Unit, this project delivered a culturally adapted model of the PreVenture Program. The PreVenture Program:

• was an evidence-based prevention program
• focused on strengths and uses personality-targeted interventions to:
  • promote youth mental health
  • delay substance use

The workshops were designed to help youth build:

• self-efficacy
• coping and cognitive behavioural skills needed to manage developmental challenges, such as:
  • peer pressure
  • academic stress
  • interpersonal conflict
  • identity development

Key partnerships included the 2 largest school boards in the Kenora-Rainy River Districts: Keewatin-Patricia School Board and Rainy River District School Board. Several other health and social service agencies were also engaged in local delivery of the program in schools.

This project was led by the Alliance for Healthier Communities. It supported the expansion of social prescribing to 28 Ontario-based organizations and health providers, including:

• community health centres,
• community family health teams
• Indigenous interprofessional primary care teams and
• nurse practitioner-led clinics

These organizations helped connect community members and clients to non-clinical resources that support better mental health.

The project also provided training and resources to interprofessional primary health care organizations across Canada. It supported Ontario 211 and Community Connection to increase their capacity for social prescribing through closed-loop referrals.

This project, led by the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University, was delivered in 4 provinces, in partnership with:

• Concordia University
• Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University

It supported the mental health and well-being of post-secondary students through mindfulness-based interventions designed to:

• enhance students' coping and resilience skills
• create a supportive environment for emerging creative artists and designers to flourish, including those from:
  • underserved communities
  • marginalized communities

This project was led by Préma-Québec. It adapted existing resources to address the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of families with one or more premature babies. The project extended services to families whose premature child was between 0 and 8 years old in several regions of Quebec. It also worked with health professionals who supported these families to adapt interventions tailored to their needs.

This project was led by Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon. It worked to increase the capacity of youth outreach workers to identify signs of mental health issues among Indigenous youth program participants. They assisted youth through culturally-appropriate programming and referrals. Elders and Knowledge Keepers who use cultural activities were included to improve youth mental health and resilience. A holistic approach was implemented to work with Indigenous students.

This project was led by the Students Commission of Canada. It equipped youth and adults with skills to mitigate the significant impacts of the pandemic on their mental health. It focused on creating safer spaces to explore and develop healthy and authentic social identities across offline and online spaces. 18 program options were available by request for:

• schools
• community centres
• youth organizations

Program elements included:

• mental health techniques for everyday life
• developing strategies for reducing social polarization
• developing strategies for dealing with social identity pressures
• empowering youth to leave lasting and meaningful contributions for others in their communities

This project was led by St. Michael's Hospital to adapt the highly successful Punjabi Kids' Health Mental Health Promotion model. A parent support resource was developed that is:

• free
• culturally-congruent
• delivered through social media

The resource was co-designed through community-based participatory methods. This ensured that it was responsive to the unique needs of 8 large racial and cultural-linguistic groups in Canada:

1. Arabic
2. Latinx
3. Tagalog
4. Mandarin
5. Cantonese
6. Ukrainian
7. Inuktitut
8. Black-African-Caribbean

Led by Table Éducation Outaouais, this project is implementing an intervention program for students transitioning to high school. It aims to promote positive body image and reduce bullying among students:

• ages 10 to 12
• attending elementary schools in the Outaouais region

This program is inspired by the Very Important Kids program, which seeks to reduce the frequency of bullying and prevent the use of weight control behaviors.

The project is taking place in 2 elementary schools in the Outaouais region.

The Thunderbird Partnership Foundation is developing a national online repository and virtual resource hub to support First Nations communities and the First Nations addictions treatment program workforce. This hub will include:

• best practices
• guidance materials
• culturally-based mental wellness and addictions resources

This project was led by United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society (S.U.C.C.E.S.S.). It worked to enhance capacity by:

• using a coordinated model of care
• supporting the mental health of postpartum immigrant women and families in the Tri-Cities region

Through this project, immigrant families were connected with the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Early Childhood Development team to:

• support their individual needs
• participate in parent education workshops
• support their wellness in the community through family-oriented activities

In collaboration with the Tri-Cities Local Immigration Partnership, the project also offered training and networking opportunities to service providers. They worked to enhance their practices around culturally-appropriate mental health literacy and promotion.

This project, led by the University of Alberta, built a repository of evidence-based mental health literacy resources and interventions. It supported the mental health of children and youth by helping to inform and enhance the capacity of:

• policy makers
• education institutions
• health care institutions
• child and youth organizations
• health- and mental health-related organizations

Led by EQUIP Health Care at the University of British Columbia, this project:

• mobilized the EQUIP Equity Action Kit, a resource designed to:
  • increase capacity for equity-oriented care
  • support health care and social service providers
  • support health care and social service organizations

To broaden accessibility of the EQUIP resources to diverse audiences and organizations, EQUIP:

• engaged with Francophone community experts
• translated and adapted resources to French and Francophone service contexts

These resources:

• supported service providers and organizations
• provided an equity lens to health care and social services

Knowledge mobilization activities included "showcase events" and distribution of free educational resources, which could be tailored for diverse audiences. These include:

• mental health educators
• those working in urban and rural setting
• organizations serving a wide range of people
• service providers working in mental health and substance use

This project, led by the Vanier Social Pediatric Hub under the auspices of the Vanier Community Services Centre (French only), focused on:

• improving child and youth mental health and well-being
• enhancing the use of social prescribing and community-based well-being activities as a primary prevention and early intervention pathway

This approach to health and well-being was:

• integrated and comprehensive
• designed to support children, youth and their families who are living in a vulnerable community to reach their full potential

The Wanasah Trauma-Responsive Community Pilot Initiative tested an approach to developing Black-centric, trauma-responsive community support services in Toronto's Regent Park community.

The Initiative spread findings from this work to other communities in the Greater Toronto Area and across large urban centres in Canada. Led by Wanasah: Mental Health Services For Black Youth, this initiative took a community-driven participatory approach to developing mental health services and supports that:

• was culturally-safe
• was equity-focused
• helped prevent and mitigate the ongoing impacts of trauma and violence on the mental health of Black youth and their families in Regent Park and neighboring communities

The Western University Centre for School Mental Health is leveraging existing platforms to provide training and ongoing support to Ontario school boards implementing the Healthy Relationships Program (HRP) for 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth. HRP for 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth is a small-groups intervention that is:

• trauma-informed
• equity-infused
• strengths-focused
• skills-based
• promoting positive mental health
• helping build resiliency and bolster well-being among 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth

Through this project, the Western University Centre for School Mental Health, is working in close partnership with Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation in Alberta. Together, they have created and implemented a culturally-adapted and community-relevant version of the Healthy Relationships Program (HRP). By strengthening cultural connections, this adaptation of HRP is designed to provide support strategies to address and mitigate the impacts of health inequities with First Nations youth of Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation.

This project was led by Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthREX) and partners. They developed a Centering Black Youth Wellbeing Accountability Toolkit for organizations to track, measure, understand and share their anti-Black racism transformational change efforts. This toolkit supported an ongoing commitment to transformational change at the institutional, organizational, agency, and program levels.

This project built on YouthREX's existing online anti-Black racism training, "Centering Black Youth Wellbeing: A Certificate on Combatting Anti-Black Racism": a certificate available in English and French. It provides:

• resources
• foundational knowledge
• tools that challenge systemic anti-Black racism

Métis Nation Ontario (MNO) is developing community resources that are distinction-based and Métis-rooted. These resources include:

• Interventions focussing on:
  • resilience
  • mental wellness
  • life promotion
  • suicide prevention
• Community mental wellness tools
• Tools for traumatic incident:
  • prevention
  • intervention
  • response

Through this project, MNO will partner with the Weaving Wellness Centre, an Ontario-based mental wellness clinical service and consulting firm. Together, they will adapt LivingWorks Suicide Prevention Training so that it is reflective of Métis values, culture, and community.

The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) is developing and facilitating mental wellness programs and resources that are:

• Red River Métis-specific
• educational
• province-wide
• trauma-informed

Led by the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S), the "Mental health and cultural connections" project is developing community mental wellness tools that are:

• distinction-based
• Métis-rooted
• for traumatic incident:
  • prevention
  • intervention
  • response

MN-S is also promoting mental wellness resilience, suicide prevention, and life promotion within Métis communities across Saskatchewan.

This project is addressing the existing gaps in supports by creating a low-barrier approach to in-person mental health supports. These include:

• Connections to essential services
• Coordination of essential services
• Facilitating cultural supports
• Facilitating access to land-based healing practices
• Facilitating referrals to:
  • community resources
  • other medical services
  • addiction treatment programming

A Cultural Connections Support Coordinator is also included in this project. They are working with the Métis children who are in care across Saskatchewan to provide connection to culture and family and help improve mental health outcomes.