ONTARIO—When Mikayla Patterson, CEO of Wiidokaage Waabandan, took the stage at the Chiefs of Ontario conference on Mental Wellness and Substance Use on January 28, she didn’t just present statistics—she told a story. A story of pain, of resilience, and of community-led solutions that are saving lives in First Nations across the province.
“Pain is the problem,” she said, addressing a room filled with leaders, frontline workers and community members. “And we forget that sometimes. We see addiction, we see behaviours, but we forget the person behind them.”
Founded in May 2024, Wiidokaage Waabandan has already saved over 36 lives through an innovative, relationship-centered approach to mental health and addiction services. Their model is built on a simple yet radical idea: meeting people where they are—literally. Instead of waiting for individuals to navigate complex systems and seek help in clinical settings, the organization trains community members with lived experience to provide support and conduct outreach.
Ms. Patterson, a settler with a background in mental health, acknowledged the systemic failures in Western models of care. “The expectation that people will come to us—that’s a very Western concept. But if we want to help, we have to go to them. We have to build relationships.”
On Manitoulin Island, Wiidokaage Waabandan has conducted door-to-door wellness checks and trained nearly 100 households in Naloxone administration, empowering communities to respond to opioid overdoses immediately. Their success is not just in harm reduction but in rebuilding trust—an essential but often overlooked element of healing.
Empowering Youth
Brooke Debassige, the organization’s youth prevention lead, followed Ms. Patterson’s remarks with an impassioned plea for a shift in how communities support young people.
“Indigenous youth don’t need more guidance,” Ms. Debassige said. “They need support.”
She explained the difference: guidance assumes authority, dictating what youth should do. Support, on the other hand, empowers them to explore their own strengths and make their own informed decisions.
“We tell young people what to do because we think we’re protecting them,” she said. “But real protection comes from creating spaces where they feel safe enough to figure things out for themselves.”
Ms. Debassige spoke about the importance of listening to youth rather than prescribing solutions. “When we sit down and actually listen to what youth are saying, instead of assuming we know what’s best for them, that’s when we start to make a real impact.” She emphasized that many Indigenous youth face systemic barriers that go beyond individual choices. “It’s not just about making the right decisions—it’s about whether they even have access to opportunities to make those decisions in the first place.”
She highlighted how young people often feel unheard and dismissed. “They have ideas, they have dreams and they have solutions. We need to create spaces where they can share those ideas without fear of judgment.”
The Power of Presence and Safe Spaces
Ms. Patterson illustrated the impact of these relationships with a simple scenario: a person in crisis walks into a health centre, yelling, agitated, maybe even violent. The usual response? Security, police, emergency services. But what if that same person had a familiar face in the room? Someone who had already spent time with them, who had shown up at their home, who had listened without judgment?
“That mere presence can de-escalate a crisis,” she explained. “Because relationships are the foundation of healing.”
Ms. Debassige reinforced this point by discussing the necessity of safe spaces for Indigenous youth. “A safe space doesn’t just mean a building with a sign on it. It means a place where youth know they are welcome, where they know they won’t be judged or punished for being themselves.”
She challenged leaders in the room to rethink their approach. “Are we actually making space for youth? Or are we just trying to fit them into systems that weren’t built for them?”
Challenging the System, Changing the Approach
Both Ms. Patterson and Ms. Debassige underscored the importance of challenging outdated policies that create barriers to care. The nine-to-five model doesn’t work for people in crisis. Funding should not be tied to emergency declarations. And hiring criteria must be rethought to include those with lived experience, even if they don’t have formal education or clear criminal records.
“The justice system is a Western system,” Ms. Patterson said bluntly. “And if you get caught at the wrong place, at the wrong time, that shouldn’t mean you’re unqualified to help others. Some of the most gifted healers I’ve met are people who have struggled themselves.”
Ms. Debassige echoed this sentiment. “We need to stop seeing youth as problems to be solved and start recognizing them as the solutions we’ve been waiting for.”
Their message was clear: change is not just necessary—it’s possible.
And as the room filled with applause, it was evident that their words had not just been heard, but deeply felt.
To contact Wiidokaage Waabandan email mikhaylap@wiidookaagewaabandan.com or call 705-210-1511.
