For many First Nations people living in rural and remote communities, accessing culturally safe mental health care can be a geographical challenge. It's for this very reason that the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) began the First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day (VDOD) and the First Nations Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service (VSUPS). These two services allow First Nations clients to access mental health care across long distances by using their computer, tablet or even a cellphone.
Dr. Marilyn Thorpe, a psychiatrist specializing in adolescent psychology and childhood trauma, has been providing services to First Nations clients for years via these online portals. She first began working in the virtual psychiatry space in 2019 when she joined a pilot project to see whether First Nations clients in 11 remote communities would engage with psychiatrists over Zoom. The project was a success, leading to Dr. Thorpe's continued work with those same communities through the VSUPS service.
First Nations rural and remote communities face many geographic barriers when it comes to accessing health care and the VSUPS service goes a long way in meeting that mental health need. Dr. Thorpe says she is proud to be part of overcoming those barriers.
Outside of the virtual space, and in order to bring health care closer to home for First Nations people in BC, the First Nations-led Primary Care Initiative (FNPCI) is opening three First Nations Primary Care Centres in each of the five health regions. These centres will provide wraparound care that blends culturally appropriate and trauma-informed Western clinical services alongside traditional health and wellness practices, guided by Knowledge Keepers and Elders.
Wilp D'mootxw – Nec'a Yikh, or The Healing House, will serve the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en communities in Hazelton. While still under construction, services are already being offered by Dr. Sara Keshavarz-Moqadam, the centre's mental health clinician and senior clinical counsellor.
Dr. Keshavarz-Moqadam offers virtual and in-person counselling services to the communities served by the Healing House.
She acknowledges that stigma can be a concern for people when it comes to seeking help for their mental health and encourages people to move past labels and begin speaking with a counsellor. She says her goal is to help people discover they are a lot stronger than they think they are and to be part of their healing journey.
Pictured: Dr. Sara Keshavarz-Moquadam
As for when someone should seek mental health advice, Dr. Keshavarz-Moqadam says she believes in continuously maintaining your mental health and well-being and not waiting until a major traumatic event happens.
Dr. Keshavarz-Moqadam is currently available for in person and virtual counselling sessions. She can also accommodate group or individual sessions. Members of the Wet'suwet'en and Gitxsan First Nations can make an appointment with Dr. Keshavarz-Moqadam by emailing:
wdnywellness@fnha.ca.
