Mental health prioritized

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A coalition of organizations with a stake in mental health service provision is hosting a conference for mental health professionals, para-professionals and interested community members in Sudbury next month. In a field that often seems dominated by female health care providers, one thing that makes this conference stand out is a workshop to address specifically men's issues.

Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre of Sudbury, along with Mnaamodzawin Health Services of the North Shore; Mamaweswen North Shore Tribal Council; Union of Ontario Indians, and Za-geh-do-win Information Clearinghouse are hosting the event, which is expected to attract several hundred participants to the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Sudbury from Oct. 26 to 28.

Invited are mental health workers, psychologists, drug and alcohol workers, social workers, police and justice workers and community workers, who can look forward to some interesting sessions around the issue of self-care as well as a broad range of service delivery topics.

"Everyone is welcome," said Shelly Moore-Frappier, of the planning committee.

Moore-Frappier said Whitefish Lake and Wahnipitae are the closest reserves, but they expect 300 to 500 Aboriginal people from across Canada to attend.

Presenters include the executive director of the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres, Sylvia Maracle; Billy Rogers, founder and director of the Native Wellness Institute in Oklahoma; and Bill Mussell, chairman and president of the Native Mental Health Association of Canada. They will be joined by Mary Elliott, Dr. Brenda Restoule, Elder Ann Wilson, Elder Micheal Thrasher, Nancy Stevens and Jaynane Burningfields, all of whom are well known and respected for their work across the spectrum of mental health disciplines.

Mussell talked to Birchbark about his sessions.

"The first is addressing male participation and healing activities-what, how and why.

"Men in Aboriginal communities tend to resist getting actively involved in any kind of healing activities, and so that poses a problem ... if we're looking at our future in First Nations and Aboriginal communities, because they're really dependent upon the resourcefulness of both fathers and mothers and grandparents.

"What I'm hearing women say is, 'We don't want to be walking ahead of our men; we want to be walking together with them shoulder-to-shoulder, working together.'"

Mussell likes the sound of that.

"The question, of course, is, 'What is it that needs to be done to facilitate the life experiences for men to feel comfortable doing that?' And that is the focus, really, of my session."

Mussell said he had "never seen on any conference program anything about that" until he spoke about it. He has found, however, through five years work related to men's healing at the Sal'i'shan Institute in Chilliwak, B.C., "the response from men has been very positive. They're really keen on learning more, but they need to feel safe enough to begin to talk honestly.

"Many males have suffered loss and trauma, and only a few of them have sought assistance that would help them to move forward in their overall growth and development. Most of them have not healed themselves and continue to behave in ways that show the effects of unresolved personal issues, usually connected with loss and trauma."

Mussell proposes to share his findings about the "challenges of being male and becoming warrior caregivers-in the form of a guide to provide positive change by starting with children and working through all life stages."

For more information, e-mail mhc@shkagamik.kwe.org or telephone 705-692-0420 or 705-675-1596.