Métis Community Services Society of BC
Website: mcsbc.org
Phone: 250-868-0351
Fax: 250-868-0359
Email: [email protected]
Address: 147 Park Road (172.50 mi), Kelowna, BC, Canada, BC V1Y 3E3
Métis Community Services of BC has a mandate from Métis citizens to provide integrated, holistic, family centered, wraparound services to all those who need assistance, with special emphasis on Aboriginal populations – specifically Métis populations.
The Metis Community Services Society of BC receives funding through the CAI-Community Counselling Grant to provide Metis/Aboriginal adults needing low barrier and culturally safe access to mental health and substance use programs and services. Specifically, Mental Health and Substance Use Counsellor, Traditional Cultural Wellness Worker and Wellbriety Group. These programs form part of the existing integrated wraparound services provided within Metis Community Services.
Counselling services are typically provided using Two-Eyed Seeing and Seeking Safety model approaches to mental health and substance use. This holistic, culturally engaged approach blends Western mental health and addiction practices with traditional Aboriginal healing when possible. Where appropriate, counselling incorporates Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), motivational therapy, trauma informed therapy and mindfulness techniques in combination with traditional healing and spiritual methods of recovery.
An example of a Two-eyed approach is Wellbriety. Wellbriety is a movement which seeks to break the cycle of hurt caused by alcoholism with an emphasis on Native spiritual traditions. Wellbriety views the Medicine Wheel as a circle of teaching and cycle of healing that can be blended with 12 Steps of recovery outlined in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous as part of personal recovery.
Connecting with others through group activities is an important aspect of mental health, recovery and healing. A Two-Eyed Seeing approach is incorporated into Wellness Workshops and Traditional Cultural Teachings whenever it is appropriate to do so with group activities providing a variety of opportunities for Elders, Traditional Healers and other programs/services to participate. We believe, when you heal a child, you heal a family. When you heal a family, you heal a community. When you heal a community, you heal a nation.
