Anishinabek Nation holds opioid summit

In response to community concerns about the ongoing opioid crisis, the Anishinabek Nation is holding a summit for members to discuss possible solutions and to identify service gaps.

The Mental Health, Addiction, and Opioid Summit brings together various agencies and individuals with experience dealing with addictions and mental health.

"We went to communities to ask them what's going on in their community regarding mental health, addiction and opioid crisis," said Katie Pine, opioid strategic planning specialist with the Anishinabek Nation.

"So, this all stems from those discussions."

Tim Ominika, mental health and addictions specialist with the Anishinabek Nation, said the summit brings together health care professionals and others with different backgrounds and perspectives on the opioid crisis.

"Bringing a round table here, frontline workers, physicians, lived experience individuals to the summit is going to allow us to collaborate more collectively to address these issues in our First Nation communities," Ominika said.

This is the first Mental Health, Addiction and Opioid Summit for the Anishinabek Nation. Organizers said Indigenous communities in the north have already expressed interest in holding another one.