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Dr. Geoffrey Maina, an Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert Campus, is a dedicated researcher and educator with a deep commitment to mental health, addictions, and community-based research. His journey from Kenya to Canada in 2010, fueled by a scholarship and a passion for public health, set the stage for a career devoted to amplifying the voices of vulnerable populations.
Elevating Marginalized Voices in Mental Health
Dr. Maina’s academic path began at the University of Alberta, where his doctoral research explored the experiences of people living with HIV and their roles in peer education. During his PhD, his background in nursing led him to pursue licensure, allowing him to practice in mental health and long-term care while also teaching. This dual expertise shaped his approach to research and education, merging clinical experience with a drive for systemic change.
In 2016, he joined USask’s College of Nursing at the Prince Albert Campus, a northern Saskatchewan community of about 40,000 people. There, he shifted his research focus to substance use and addiction, addressing gaps in knowledge about Saskatchewan’s growing immigrant population. His work now spans HIV prevention, mental health among international students, and substance use in immigrant communities, ensuring that overlooked voices are heard in healthcare policy and practice.
Throughout his career, Dr. Maina has remained deeply involved in local community research, focusing on the unique needs of marginalized populations in Saskatchewan. His work with immigrant communities, including studies on substance use and mental health, provides essential insights into the challenges these groups face in adjusting to life in Canada. By fostering collaboration with local organizations and engaging directly with the people he serves, Dr. Maina has become a powerful advocate for those who are often left out of the conversation on mental health and addiction.
Mentorship and Barriers in Healthcare Research
Geoffrey Maina recognizes the critical role mentorship plays in shaping the careers of students, particularly those from underrepresented or racialized communities in academia and healthcare. His commitment to mentorship stems from the gaps that often leave these groups without the guidance they need to thrive in their academic journeys. Maina’s Center for Minority Research reflects this vision, focusing not only on research but also on providing mentorship to students who might otherwise lack access to such opportunities.
Through his mentorship, Maina aims to cultivate a new generation of scholars who can address the unique health challenges faced by immigrant and minority populations. These challenges—ranging from mental health struggles and addiction to domestic violence—are frequently overlooked, but Maina believes that by mentoring the next generation of researchers, these issues will receive the focused attention they deserve.
Maina’s advocacy extends to addressing systemic barriers in healthcare, especially regarding the integration of internationally trained professionals. Immigrant healthcare providers often encounter difficulties with credential recognition and, even when their qualifications are acknowledged, face cultural and systemic hurdles that can limit their career potential. Maina is working tirelessly to bridge these gaps and ensure that immigrant healthcare professionals can practice to their full potential. His efforts also include advocating for better ethnic-based healthcare data, which he believes is crucial for developing tailored, effective interventions that can address health disparities more effectively.
The Future of Newcomer Integration in Canada's Healthcare System
Geoffrey Maina envisions the future of newcomer integration in Canada’s healthcare system as one that must be grounded in more reliable data. He emphasizes the importance of disaggregating health data by ethnicity, as this would allow for more targeted and effective interventions. By better understanding which communities are most at risk for conditions like diabetes, cancer, and mental health issues, policies and programs could be better tailored to meet the specific needs of newcomers.
Maina also highlights the growing challenge of mental health within immigrant populations. With stressors such as acculturation, underemployment, and family dysfunction, Maina suggests that increased mental health services will be crucial to supporting newcomers. Creating a more supportive environment where asking for help is normalized could be a game changer in addressing these mental health struggles.
Looking to the future, Maina also notes that the aging immigrant population will become an increasingly important factor. With the healthcare system already grappling with the challenges of an aging population, Maina believes that it will need to adapt to the specific needs of racialized and immigrant populations to ensure adequate care. By 2035, when a significant portion of Canada’s population will be immigrants, Maina stresses that the system must be prepared to meet their evolving healthcare needs.
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