On July 11th, 1988, the NAANDWECHIGE-GAMIG Wikwemikong Health Centre opened its doors to the community. In 1994, Health Canada transferred most of the services to Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve (WUIR). To serve all members of the community, all services provided at the Health Centre can be provided in both our Native language and English.
Our health services range is comprehensive and includes Children's Services, Youth Centre, Nadmadwin Mental Health Clinic, Community Health Primary Care, Long-term Care and Home Care, Medical Transportation, Aasgaabwitwindwaa Binoojiinhik Wiin ni gshkiwewziwaat (ABWnG), Nookomisnaang Shelter, and Aboriginal Children's Health and Well-being Measure.
Nadmadwin Mental Health Clinic
Our mission is to improve the overall mental health status of community members of all ages. The focus is on one-on-one clinical counselling, community development, and training on mental health and addiction issues and awareness.
Our goal is to improve the overall mental health status of the community. Nadmadwin Mental Health Clinic provides one-on-one counselling, community development, and mental health and addictions training and harm reduction workships. Mental Health services originated from the investigation of youth suicides in Wikwemikong in 1976. NAANDWECHIGE-GAMIG Wikwemikong Health Centre's priority is to ensure the client's safety and confidentiality. Our program collaborates with other professionals, hospitals and community agencies/organizations within the community (e.g. healing lodges, schools, and child welfare agencies) as well as external to the community such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and substance use treatment centres.
Aasgaabwitwindwaa Binoojiinhik Wiin ni gshkiwewziwaat (ABWnG) (formerly School Health Support Services)
Aasgaabwitwindwaa Binoojiihik was developed in response to a prominent and critical need for access to specialized services for children with exceptionalities living and receiving education on-reserve. Before program development, there was a significant service gap for First Nation children who required specialized support services. Aasgaabwitwindwaa Binoojiihik is funded through Jordan's Principle, which means there is no financial burden for families, and all services are delivered within the community. Services offered under this program umbrella include speech and language, psychoeducational assessments, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, behaviour intervention, child/adolescent psychiatry, and complex case management.
All rotations will occur across the Nadmadwin Mental Health Clinic and ABWnG program. Both programs seek to support and promote the holistic well-being of Anishinabek people.
Position Specifics:
There is an opportunity for one psychological resident to work with children and youth (up to the age of 18), as well as their families. The position will focus on assessment, intervention, and consultation across the internship year. The resident will have the opportunity to work with children and adolescents with various diagnoses and complex presenting issues (e.g., mood/anxiety disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, trauma-related disorders, etc.). The intern will utilize a range of evidence-based assessment and treatment modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT). Approaches to working with clients may include individual, group, and family counselling. The resident will address a wide range of presenting problems (e.g., anxiety, depression, behavioural challenges, and parenting support). Further, the resident will gain experience in working with complex issues related to suicidal ideation, self-harm, family conflict, and trauma.
The resident may be expected to travel to provide assessment and intervention services within neighbouring Indigenous communities (all accessible via car). The resident will be working almost exclusively with Wikwemikong band members. However, Indigenous children, youth, and their families from surrounding communities can also access psychological services, mainly through ABWnG psychoeducational assessments. The position will be for 12 months, and time will be allotted to attend an orientation in Thunder Bay in September 2025. Students from Development/ School/ Clinical Child Psychology Training programs are especially encouraged to apply to this Wikwemikong Health Centre residency.
ROTATION EXPERIENCES
Assessments:
- The resident will gain experience conducting comprehensive psychoeducational and psychodiagnostic assessments, including case file review, clinical/diagnostic interviewing, and selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting standardized cognitive, academic, behavioural, and socio-emotional assessment measures.
- The assessment rotation will focus on further developing case conceptualization skills from a biopsychosocial frameworK,
- The resident will communicate assessment findings and recommendations verbally and via integrated assessment reports to clients and their families in a culturally sensitive manner.
- The resident will gain experience in conducting assessments of children and youth (age 5 to 18) with mental health or neurodevelopmental disorders, including mood/anxiety disorders, OCD, intellectual disability, specific learning disorders, ADHD, ASD, FASD, disruptive/conduct disorders, and trauma-related disorders.
- All stages of the assessment will be strengths-based and culturally informed.
Psychotherapy:
- The resident will develop strong skills in planning, implementing, and monitoring evidence-based psychotherapy with Indigenous clients.
- Specifically, residents will focus on developing their intervention skills using CBT and DBT approaches with children, youth and their parents.
- The resident will conduct interventions through a formulation-driven approach to identify treatment goals and select appropriate psychotherapeutic modalities in collaboration with their clients/families.
- The resident may also develop competence in family-based interventions/skills training (e.g., DBT for kids and positive parenting strategies). The resident may also be able to lead a parent, multi-family, or adolescent DBT skills group depending on client needs.
- Finally, the resident will practice utilizing various tools to monitor treatment progress throughout the intervention timeline and modify the treatment plan accordingly.
- The resident will become familiar with cultural adaptation to CBT or DBT to better align content and treatment process to Indigenous cultural beliefs and values.
Consultation:
- The resident will be able to develop their professional skills in consultation and providing clinical training to interdisciplinary staff within the Wikwemikong Health Centre.
- Consultation experiences will include working with internal teams (e.g., attending case conferences) and external partners (e.g., Kina Gbezhgomi Child & Family Services).
- The resident will learn to effectively communicate and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of child and youth workers, social workers, nurses, behaviour therapists, and psychiatrists.
- The resident will practice being inclusive of diverse perspectives and values (e.g. neurodiversity, race, culture, gender, sexuality, and religion).
- The resident will gain experience in delivering and receiving consultations with various professionals to support the needs of a diverse range of clients.
- The resident may gain expertise in offering clinical training to existing and new staff in various therapeutic modalities, such as DBT, DBT-K, CBT, and TF-CBT.
Education:
- There will be opportunities to participate in local workshops and cultural knowledge-sharing events (e.g. ribbon skirt making, land claims information sessions and annual Powwows).
- The resident will be able to learn from knowledge keepers and elders in consultation with their work with clients.
- Residents will attend virtual monthly NORPIC rounds provided by various psychologists with diverse expertise within the NORPIC residency network.
- Primary and secondary supervisors will also provide focused didactic training, as needed.
HOUSING INFORMATION
The responsibility to secure housing is up to the resident who matches with this site.
All Identities are welcomed and supported