The First Nations, Inuit and Métis Advisory Committee is dedicated to promoting overall mental health and reducing the threats to well-being among Indigenous people living in communities on and off reserves in Canada.

This Committee believes issues pertaining to Canada’s Aboriginal community and needs have a cross-cutting effect on much of the work of the Commission. The Committee’s structure reflects that belief, and includes First Nations, Inuit, Métis and mainstream Canadian members.

There is a realization that there will be many challenges to overcoming historical issues that have destroyed the substance of family and community, and have contributed to mental health problems in the Aboriginal population.

The Committee wants to help increase knowledge and understanding with respect to issues of cultural safety, social justice, ethical accountability and diversity competency.

The Committee is now working on projects to:

• Demonstrate how “cultural safety” as a value, principle and practice will assist individuals, families and communities of diverse cultures, when it comes to mental health and the treatment of mental illness. Ensure that cultural safety becomes a pillar of the MHCC anti-stigma campaign;
  
  
• Promote and develop Indigenous-determined ethical guidelines in the delivery of frontline mental health and addictions programming in Indigenous communities.