ACTA/CCTA’s Indigenous Relations Journey
Mental health issues are an escalating concern for all Albertans. The ACTA Board recognizes this concern is heightened for First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous peoples due to colonization, generational trauma and continued racism. Persistent lack of culturally safe mental health services and Indigenous mental health professionals in Alberta perpetuate mental health inequity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta’s (ACTA) mandate is to prepare the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (CCTA) to be operational upon the Alberta Government’s proclamation of the legislation. The CCTA will oversee the counselling professions, serve the public interest and provide public safety by establishing and enforcing standards of practice and ethics for the counselling professions.
Regulation of the counselling professions through the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (CCTA) will increase access to culturally safe mental health services. The CCTA working in relationship and partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit can implement necessary cultural safeguards in mental health. Additionally, the proclamation of the CCTA would significantly increase access and funding for mental health counselling for First Nation, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous peoples.
Over the past 3 years, ACTA has had the privilege of building relationships with First Nations leaders in order to establish meaningful, enduring partnerships for the CCTA. As a result, ACTA has confirmed its commitments and co-established with these partners recommendations for the CCTA. We look forward to the proclamation of the CCTA, so that these recommendations can become actions and we can continue to work together to increase culturally safe and accessible counselling services for First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous peoples.
ACTA/CCTA’s Commitments
ACTA recognizes the need to address systemic racism in healthcare and is committed to embedding recommendations from UNDRIP and TRC into CCTA policies, practices, and governance.
The ACTA Board acknowledges that the journey to reconciliation begins and continues through humble learning about atrocities perpetuated on First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous peoples, self-exploration to propel individual and collective change, and authentic restorative relationships with First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous peoples to co-lead a safer, equitable future. We desire to continue building relationships and learnings with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit and be held accountable for our mission to demonstrate and advance reconciliation within the CCTA alongside First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous leaders.
ACTA/CCTA is committed to pursuing right relationship and partnership with First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous peoples of Alberta to address systemic racism and co-create cultural safeguards, cultural training requirements and standards of practice for counselling professions. The CCTA will accept the responsibility for holding counselling professionals accountable for culturally safe mental health services in Alberta, uphold the First Nations, Metis and Inuit Inherent and Treaty Right to Health, and honour Indigenous healing practices without infringement. Furthermore, the CCTA will continue to develop its policies with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit to ensure Indigenous counsellors’ cultural practices are not impacted.
First Nations Support
Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 Call on Government to Proclaim the CCTA
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Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 Call on Government to Proclaim the CCTA *
The Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations and Treaty No. 8 First Nations of Alberta have called on the government to immediately proclaim the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (CCTA) to address the growing mental health crisis and increasing number of opioid deaths in First Nations communities.
The Confederacy of Treaty No.6 and Treaty No.8 First Nations of Alberta have also identified the opening of the CCTA as a means to significantly increase access to mental health counselling through First Nations Insured Health Benefits (FNIIHB) and other government funding that requires providers to be regulated health professionals. Currently, access to this funding and desperately needed services are denied to many First Nations people due to the government's stall in opening this much-needed college. At a time when many First Nations are in a State of Emergency due to a growing mental health and opioid crisis, we cannot afford any further delay.
Once the CCTA is proclaimed, the Confederacy of Treaty No.6 and Treaty No.8 First Nations of Alberta have committed to continuing to work with the CCTA to ensure diverse cultural understandings are appropriately considered within its processes, policies, and governance. These ongoing partnerships will be essential for co-creating cultural safeguards and cultural training requirements for over 4000 counselling professionals regulated by the CCTA.
Initial Recommendations for the CCTA
1. Create safe spaces to foster learning and identify shared reconciliatory goals within ACTA and in relationships with First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous peoples.
2. Ensure First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous perspectives are included in CCTA’s decision-making processes and governance, and invite Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, or leaders, within appropriate Indigenous protocol and reciprocity to continue working with CCTA to guide learning and decisions honouring reconciliation with Indigenous people.
3. CCTA partners with First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous leaders to offer council, staff, and members reflective and experiential learning about Indigenous history, truths, and cultural safety.
4. CCTA implement processes to increase Indigenous counsellors in Alberta as the TRC recommended.
Recommendations include:
CCTA creates a process for registrants to identify as First Nation, Metis, Inuit or Indigenous voluntarily.
CCTA collaborates with First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous leaders to work toward a reduced or no-fee policy for First Nation, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous counsellors registering with the CCTA.
CCTA reduces barriers and works toward an Indigenous pathway to registration
5. CCTA design a simple public measure of accountability reporting on implementing CCTA’s reconciliation plan.
6. CCTA collaborate with health regulatory bodies to continue advancing and prioritizing Indigenous reconciliation and improved health outcomes.
* Recommendations for the CCTA are living documents; hence, they will be updated to include diverse First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous voices and incorporate new knowledge and understanding as it develops collaboratively.
Further Action Items for the CCTA
As a result of collaboration thus far with the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations, Treaty 8 First Nations, and early conversations with Blackfoot Confederacy Health Directors, G4 Health Stoney Nakoda - Tsuut’ina Tribal Council, and Metis Nation of Alberta Health Director, the future CCTA has the following emphasized recommendations:
CCTA establish an Elder Advisory Committee or Wisdom Council, inviting all the nations' representation.
CCTA Council includes First Nations representation.
CCTA collaborates with First Nations and Metis to determine cultural safe guards and the required cultural safety training for counsellors, which includes land-based training when available.
CCTA learn and understand distinct and diverse nations’ cultural ways to ensure no disruption to nations’ ways.
CCTA implements a transparent process to receive and address racial and discriminatory complaints.
CCTA collaborate with other Health Regulatory Colleges who oversee mental health counselling (such as psychology and social work) to close gaps in mental health care services.
CCTA collaborate with nations to develop standards, cultural competencies, and anti-racism strategies.
CCTA collaborate with diverse nations to establish Indigenous pathways to registration honouring cultural and traditional healing counselling competencies.