The First Nations Wellness Initiative (FNWI): Strengthening, Expanding and Sharing Community-Driven Approaches

Many First Nation peoples and communities are disproportionately affected by mental health and substance use challenges due to the enduring harmful effects of colonialism. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating these challenges, alongside re-traumatization due to the unmarked mass graves at residential schools found across Canada. Mental health services often fail to foster meaningful and active involvement from community members in service planning, with community members having little or no involvement in the decision-making process. There is an urgent need for innovative community-driven initiatives grounded in local contexts and culturally specific Indigenous practices, priorities, and knowledges. The First Nations Wellness Initiative (FNWI) is a successful collaborative model for developing community-driven, evidence-informed and community-based wellness strategies in First Nations. It involves local data collection and participatory action research to develop wellness strategies in each participating community. Through a previously funded COVID-19 Mental Health & Substance Use Service Needs/Delivery Operating Grant, the FNWI aimed to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic in two First Nations by implementing and enhancing the FNWI. In the current application, we propose to strengthen, expand and share successful community-driven approaches. Our objectives are to: 1) implement all phases of the FNWI model as part of a new partnership with Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory to establish a community-driven wellness strategy that is tailored to their needs and builds on community strengths; 2) continue supporting community wellness planning in Walpole Island First Nation and Saugeen First Nation, including further developing and evaluating their wellness strategies; and 3) engage in extensive knowledge translation and mobilization activities within and across communities, including sharing best practices, tools, and products.