First Nations, Inuit and Métis people face higher levels of distress than the general population, largely due to colonial policies and their lasting impact. To respond, the Quebec government created pilot joint intervention teams in 2022–2023, in Maniwaki, Roberval, Chibougamau and Joliette. These teams bring together police officers, health professionals and community partners to provide co-ordinated support in urban settings.
The first ÉMIPIC, established in Maniwaki, had never been studied before. The project, funded over two years by the SSHRC Insight Development Grant, will gather the perspectives of service providers, including team members, the Maniwaki Native Friendship Centre and other community representatives. Their perspectives will be compared with those of Indigenous people who received services, as documented in the project’s first phase.
The goal is to identify promising practices and develop recommendations for culturally safe socio-judicial services that reflect Indigenous understandings of holistic well-being—physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.
The findings will help strengthen services in Maniwaki and inform similar teams across Quebec.