Thank you.
It's very important that people see themselves reflected in the health care staff. It builds confidence in the system.
We've recently started a program here whereby we have hired indigenous wellness counsellors who were trained at Rhodes college in B.C. We have made a community fund, and communities can choose to hire them directly to provide counselling services in their communities. We've had good uptake with that fund.
People are very proud that their community members have gone for this training and are returning to provide this service in their communities. We would want them to be paid on a par with non-indigenous counsellors so that the jobs are attractive to them.