An Alberta First Nation band hopes pairing fathers with mentors will help battle the problem of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

The program on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation, called Gathering Together, has men from the community mentoring fathers. Some of those dads have addictions. Others have a child with FASD, which is caused by women drinking while pregnant.

'It was about a month before I connected with anybody. Once I did establish connections with them it's hard to get them to stop talking now.'—Richard LeBlanc

Studies show the behaviour of fathers has a significant impact on the behaviours of all family members, said Richard Amaral, a psychologist and the program coordinator. Women in relationships with men who don't drink or use drugs tend to have fewer struggles with addiction.

"Many of the nations fathers also needed support. They also needed some type of mentorship. Teaching them how to be a dad, how to be a good loving father, how to be a spouse," he said.

"A lot of our young aboriginal men and men in general who struggled with addiction in the past have never had that opportunity to develop those types of relationships."

Richard LeBlanc mentors six men on the Calgary-area First Nation.

"What society has told men to be is tough and you don't need any help to take care of your family, you got to do it all on your own. It was about a month before I connected with anybody. Once I did establish connections with them it's hard to get them to stop talking now. "

FASD refers to a range of disabilities that are seen in people whose mothers drank alcohol while they were pregnant. Problems children face can include learning disabilities, memory loss, short attention spans and difficulty understanding the consequences of actions.

The program on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation is paid for by Health Canada. Amaral and LeBlanc are hoping for extra funding so they reach more men in the community.