Mr. Speaker, Indigenous Services Canada, or ISC, works closely with first nations and Inuit partners to gather and develop monitoring systems to address the need for timely, community-based and national-level data. We work collaboratively to ensure that data informs policies and programs, and we seek to build upon national monitoring and research activities. ISC also supports first nations and Inuit to develop self-determined indicators. Although data are less readily available for Métis populations, ISC also supports Métis organizations to develop a long-term strategic plan for Métis data development and governance.
In response to part (a) of the question, indicators within ISC’s departmental plan that relate to mental wellness are the percentage of first nations individuals who reported "excellent" or "very good" mental health and the percentage of Inuit adults who reported "excellent" or "very good" mental health.
In response to part (b), the Minister of Indigenous Services remains committed to working with indigenous partners to achieve by March 2028 the mental health targets identified in the departmental results framework, which seek that 55% of first nations and at least 50% of Inuit people report “excellent” or “very good” mental health. The department will measure distinctions-specific progress towards increasing positive outcomes by using data from self-reported health surveys that ask respondents to rate their mental health. This is a recognized metric that closely aligns with other measures of mental health and well-being.
As noted in several indigenous-led mental wellness strategies and frameworks, such as the first nations mental wellness continuum framework, the national Inuit suicide prevention strategy, and Métis Nation’s vision for health, addressing inequities in the social determinants of health and the impact of colonization, racism and discrimination are key to Indigenous mental wellness. The journey of reconciliation is far from complete, and it remains a priority for the government. Moving forward on the commitments of implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action continues to be a priority in the mandate of the Minister of Indigenous Services and the mandates of all ministers. It is with the knowledge that it will take at least seven generations to heal from the profound harm caused by the Indian sesidential School system and other colonial sources of trauma that we are working with partners to ensure that survivors and intergenerational survivors continue to have access to the services they need to support them on their healing journeys.
With respect to part (c), ISC will continue to advance its mandate to work with first nations, Inuit and Métis to improve access to high-quality services, improve well-being in indigenous communities across Canada and support Indigenous peoples in assuming control of the delivery of services at the pace and in the ways they choose. Federally funded mental wellness programming aims to improve well-being in indigenous communities across Canada by supplementing the programs and services offered by provinces and territories. Contributing to this are access to local multidisciplinary mental wellness teams, wraparound services at opioid agonist therapy sites, life promotion and suicide prevention initiatives, substance use prevention and treatment services, and crisis line services.
In response to part (d), these programs are supported by 80 full-time positions.
Regarding part (e), these mental wellness investments are funding mental wellness teams in communities, bolstering wraparound services at opioid agonist therapy sites and enhancing suicide prevention and life promotion efforts. This investment is also funding trauma-informed health and cultural support programs, including the Indian residential schools resolution health support program, the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls health and cultural support program, the federal Indian day schools health and cultural support program, and the Indian residential schools crisis line. The program funds community-based cultural and emotional support services across Canada.