AT-A-GLANCE
Adults who are part of the Métis community.
Community Counselling Fund
What This Grantee Is Doing for Community Counselling
Métis Community Services of BC (MCSBC) has a mandate from Métis citizens to provide integrated, holistic, family centered, wraparound services to all those who need assistance, with special emphasis on Métis populations.
MCSBC receives funding through the CAI Community Counselling Fund to provide Metis/Aboriginal adults needing low barrier and culturally safe access to mental health and substance use programs and services. Their Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) Counsellor, Traditional Cultural Wellness Worker (TCWW) and Wellbriety Group (WG) form part of the existing integrated wraparound services provided within MSCBC.
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. MCSBC believes that 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.
Quote
'There is a notable increase in the number of Metis/Aboriginal people accessing traditional cultural, mental health and substance use support services who had not been able to access culturally engaged mental health and substance use counselling services in the past. People are experiencing more seamless, consistent wraparound services and are reporting they feel the MCSBC Team is "amazing". We are rebuilding personal, family and community connections. Children are being returned to their families. Children and their families are connecting with their ancestry and exploring traditional cultural teachings and healing opportunities."