10/08/2026
Community resouce.
“Relationships come before intervention. Trust, respect, and genuine human connection create the foundation for care, allowing a client to feel seen, heard and valued.”
For Rebecca Morin, Addiction Services, Clinical Project Lead for Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, a key part of reconciliation is recognizing the fundamental importance of relationships and connection.
Morin works collaboratively with First Nations and Métis Settlement leadership, healthcare providers, and community partners across Treaty 8 Territory to advance initiatives that strengthen service delivery, address complex challenges, and foster integrated systems of care.
Her work supports care that respects a person’s cultural traditions, beliefs and approaches to healing. “Across the health system, there is growing recognition that culturally safe care requires more than knowledge,” Morin explains. “It requires listening to patients, communities, Elders and Indigenous partners and integrating those perspectives into how care is designed and delivered.”
For Morin, building culturally safe care means continuing to strengthen relationships, representation and trust.
“This matters because representation brings lived experience, diverse perspectives, and a deeper understanding of the communities we serve. It helps build trust, strengthens cultural safety, and creates a system that is more responsive and equitable. For Indigenous patients, seeing themselves reflected in the health system can foster a greater sense of belonging, respect, and safety.”
