Resources

We are pleased to share the following resources thus far. As the network continues to co-develop resources, they will be added here.

ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Network | Guest Speaker Presentations

Network Gathering | June 27, 2025

Guest speakers Amanda Froehlich Chow and Amanda Gannon present ATOHTITAM: Becoming of age.

We will be sharing the story of ATOHTITAM~ Becoming of Age, a co-created initiative which aims to develop culture-and land-based wholistic wellness bundles for Saskatchewan youth, their families, and communities. ATOHTITAM promotes healthy relationships, identity healing, gender diversity, sexual health, and overall wellness through First Nations and Métis perspectives. Our goal is to create opportunities for sharing and learning that inspire Indigenous youth in Saskatchewan and beyond to be grounded in cultural wisdom around healthy communication and relationships. This foundation will support youth in engaging in behaviors that promote their sexual health and overall wellness. To guide the co-creation of our resources, we have gathered stories and been gifted with teachings from youth, teachers, parents and caregivers, individuals with lived experience, Knowledge Holders, and Elders, which have guided the co-creation of the ATOHTITAM bundles. We are preparing to share the ATOHTITAM wellness bundles (and explore their influence and resonance) in communities across Saskatchewan and into Alberta.

Click here to view the presentation

Network Gathering | May 23, 2025

Guest speakers Nancy Young, Shonagh McCrindle, and Carolyn Melro present Aaniish Naa Gegii: The Children’s Health and Well-being Measure.

This presentation will introduce an outcome measure that is tailored to the needs of Indigenous youth and discusses how it relates to integrated youth services (IYS) sites across Canada.

Click here to view the presentation

Publications

Engaging Indigenous partners in health service transformation: a framework for sustained engagement built on trust

Melro MC , Gilfoyle M, Ballantyne C, Augustine L, Brass G, Rabbitskin N, Hutt-Macleod D, Iyer SN, Mushquash CJ

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An environmental scan of mental health services for Indigenous youth in Canada

Perez SH, Kakish I, Brass G, MacDonald K, Mushquash C, Iyer SN (2024)

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Access the summary here

A descriptive overview of healthy relationship programs for Indigenous youth in Canada: an integrated environmental scan

Melro CM, Kakish I, D’souza N, Brass G, Ballantyne C, Boksa P, Mushquash CJ, Iyer SN. (2024)

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Demographic and Clinical Presentations of Youth using Enhanced Mental Health Services in Six Indigenous Communities from the ACCESS Open Minds Network

Boksa P, Hutt-MacLeod D, Clair L, Brass G, Bighead S, MacKinnon A, Etter M, Gould H, Sock E, Matoush J, Rabbitskin N. (2022)

The ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Council’s first paper on how their communities implemented strategies to transform youth mental health services.

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Download the Research Digest/Infographic

Eskasoni First Nation’s transformation of youth mental healthcare: Partnership between a Mi’kmaq community and the ACCESS Open Minds research project in implementing innovative practice and service evaluation

Hutt‐MacLeod D, Rudderham H, Sylliboy A, Sylliboy‐Denny M, Liebenberg L, Denny JF, Gould MR, Gould N, Nossal M, Iyer SN, Malla A. (2019)

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Improving youth mental wellness services in an Indigenous context in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories: ACCESS Open Minds Project

Etter M, Goose A, Nossal M, Chisholm‐Nelson J, Heck C, Joober R, Boksa P, Lal S, Shah JL, Andersson N, Iyer SN. (2019)

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Invited Commentary: Community adaptations to ACCESS Open Minds – Lessons from Eskasoni and Ulukaktok

By Christopher Mushquash (2019)

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Invited Commentary: ACCESS Open Minds National Indigenous Council

Brass, G., Gordon, M., Bernard B. (2019)

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Reports

IYS-LHS Summit Workshop Shareback Report (Oct 2024)

A shareback report that summarizes the perspectives and ideas that came out of the Coming Together: Nurturing Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Workshop at the IYS-LHS Summit, Winnipeg, MB (Oct 9, 2024). 

Download the shareback report here

Indigenous IYS Network Meeting Shareback Report (Apr 2023)

A shareback report that summarizes the perspectives and ideas that came out of the Indigenous Integrated Youth Services (IYS) Network gathering at the end of April 2023. 

Download shareback report here

Learnings from the ACCESS Open Minds project in Ulukhaktok

An implementation guide for integrated youth services as a complement to existing services from the ACCESS Open Minds project in Ulukhaktok (Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories).

Download the Report

Continuing and Growing a Network of Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Services

Read about what ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Services look like and why it’s so important to sustain them.

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Transforming Youth Mental Health in Eskasoni First Nation

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Poster Presentations

Exploring Mental Health Services and Supports for Indigenous Boys and Men: A Scoping Review

Poster presentation at the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (2025)

Download the poster

 

IAYMH 2025 – Fostering inclusion and meaningful engagement: A scoping review on training and supporting Indigenous youth in co-developing research

Poster presentation at the International Association for Youth Mental Health (2025)

Download the poster

 

Presentations

Presentation: A proven way to transform youth mental health in Indigenous communities 

A presentation showcasing how ACCESS Open Minds has transformed youth mental health in Indigenous communities. 

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