Developing community mental health services for indigenous people of northern Ontario

Inadequacies of three common models of mental health service delivery have been presented but each of these can contribute to an adequate system if the approach aims at the totality of mental health care. The key to service delivery and the provision of services in the local community by adequately trained and supervised mental health workers familiar with the culture and language and who are involved with other community workers in an inter-agency process. A major and the most important part of the work occurs in this level. This front line work must have the back-up and support of the system which has three roots. The clinical root is that of a support team of professionals, the local nursing station, hospital and the tertiary institutions. The second root is in training and education by recognized courses and other resources and the third in an adequate administration in which the indigenous population has been put in control.