hello

[dmcgill]

Hi everyone
I am Dennis and my regular day job is working as a mental health counselor for a First Nation Community on North Vancouver Island. A challange with a high percentage of alcohol and drug abuse as well as suiside attempts, sexual abuse and fights. I look forward to reading your posts and know I will get some good advise here. Thanks for doing this David

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Hi, Dennis:

I didn't realize you were a counsellor.

In addition to my private practice, I do some consulting with Health Canada's First Nations & Inuit Branch so I quite familiar with the special problems and trauma of these populations...

Welcome to PsychLinks Online.

 

[dmcgill]

You have some great looking and very familiar looking topics here. Do you deal with sexual offenders. One thing we have a shortage for here is facilities to treat these people and the problem is generational. It has been going on since residential school and now the third generation survivors of residential school are doing the same things. We have't stopped the cycle.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I don't do a lot of work with sex ofenders any more, although I did for a number of years (as well as quite a bit of research in that area).

Other than Abbotsford, I'm not sure what facilities are available in B.C. - most of the programs tend to be run by corrections. There are a couple of private outpatient ones in Eastern Ontario...

Interestingly, I don't know of any that are designed for First Nations clients, who often do better with a First Nations cultural/spiritual approach to treatment for other issues. It's an area of need, I think - and a sadly under funded and under supplied population in general.