Exploring the Relationship Between Indigenous Mental Health Services and Funding Arrangements in Canada: A Multiple Case-Study Approach

The efforts of Indigenous Mental Health and/or Substance Use and Addictions care Programs (IMHSUAP) to adopt cultural safety, such as integrating Indigenous practices with Western biomedicine, are constrained by systemic barriers such as colonial funding structures. The following case studies explore the experiences of IMHSUAP with their funders and funding arrangements while leveraging their recommendations to improve these relationships. Participants outlined the inconsistent support from non-Indigenous funders relative to those that were Indigenous-led, the complexity created by “Status” definition and Band Council systems, the difference in remunerating Indigenous and Western knowledge, and the need for a more streamlined and centralized access to funding.