June 21 is National Aboriginal Day, and CAMH’s Provincial System Support Program’s Aboriginal Engagement and Outreach (AEO) team is sharing the importance of mindfulness in a new video called “Mind Chatter”.

The video shows the process of moving from one’s thoughts to being grounded in breath, presence and connection.This practice benefits both client and worker by changing the relationship people have with their thoughts and feelings. This practice has been shown to help people of various ages cope with a wide range of issues such as stress, grief and loss, substance dependence, anxiety, depression, psychotic symptoms and others.

“Mind Chatter” is one of 13 videos created by AEO to help train mental health and addictions service providers working with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

The videos cover a variety of topics including parenting, counselling skills, traditional teachings, Inuit culture, engaging traditional helpers in the counselling process, as well as supporting the LGBTQ2S community.

“We kept hearing through early participant feedback that previous videos did not align with traditional teachings or worldviews,” said Alison Benedict, CAMH Provincial Aboriginal Training Coordinator. “The new videos were created to meet the needs outlined by participants.”

In addition to the videos, AEO provides other training opportunities consisting of evidence-based practices most aligned with traditional ways of being and knowing. The training opportunities provide interventions for restoring health and wellness.

There are plans to make the videos available for purchase through the CAMH Online Store in the near future.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please visit www.camh.ca or follow @CAMHnews on Twitter.

Media Contact:
Kate Richards,
CAMH Media Relations
(416) 595-6015 or media@camh.ca