Quality of Life Secretariat

Do you need help?

If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone else’s safety, please contact the RCMP by dialing your community code and -1111 (for example, 897-1111 in Cape Dorset).

KAMATSIAQTUT HELPLINE (English, Inuktut)

Toll-free, 24/7: 1-800-265-3333 or for Iqaluit residents call 979-3333

KIDS HELP PHONE (English, French)

Toll-free, 24/7: 1-800-668-6868 or chat online at www.kidshelpphone.ca

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS, GOVERNMENT OF NUNAVUT

To speak to a counsellor, call your community health centre or for Iqaluit residents call Iqaluit Mental Health at 975-5999

IRS RESOLUTION HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAM

National Crisis Line (Inuktut, English, French), toll-free, 24/7: 1-866-925-4419

Ilisaqsivik Counselling Line (Inuktut, English), toll-free: 1-888-331-4433

HOPE FOR WELLNESS HELPLINE

Toll-free, 24/7: 1-855-242-3310

GOVERNMENT OF NUNAVUT EMPLOYEE AND FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Toll-free, 24/7 (English, French, Inuktut through interpretation): 1-800-663-1142

Who we are

As part of the commitment to address the Suicide crisis, the Quality of Life Secretariat was created in 2015 to coordinate the Government of Nunavut’s implementation of the Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy and to provide overall management support and leadership in suicide prevention.

We affirm and continue to work toward the vision of the Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy, which states that:

Inuit are not predisposed by virtue of ethnicity to be at a higher risk of suicide than non-Inuit. Grounded in and encouraged by this truth, the Partners envision a Nunavut in which suicide is de-normalized, where the rate of suicide is the same as the rate for Canada as a whole-or lower. This will be a Nunavut in which children and youth grow up in a safer and nurturing environment, and in which people are able to live healthy, productive lives because they have the skills needed to overcome challenges, make positive choices, and enter into constructive relationships. This will also be a Nunavut in which families, communities, and governments work together to provide a wide-reaching and culturally appropriate range of services for those in need.

What we do

The Quality of Life Secretariat exists to provide leadership and coordination to support the implementation of the Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy. Our work includes:

Providing practical and financial support to develop and deliver suicide prevention programs that are community-led and rooted in Inuit culture and language;
Conducting interdepartmental meetings to assist in the monitoring, coordination, and implementation of the Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy and subsequent action plans;
Strengthening information sharing to better support individuals at risk;
Leading the development of a territorial addictions and trauma treatment centre;
Increasing access to cultural competency training; and
Coordinating expanded mobile trauma-response services in times of crisis.

How you can help

No single organization is solely responsible for suicide prevention – we all have a role to play. Individuals in different positions within their community and government can and should contribute to prevention efforts. The following are some of the training opportunities offered across Nunavut:

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

ASIST is a two-day crisis intervention training program that equips participants with the ability to respond knowledgeably and competently to persons at risk of suicide. Participants learn and practice skills in identifying and responding to people at immediate risk of suicide.

SafeTALK

A half-day training in suicide alertness that helps participants recognize a person with thoughts of suicide and connect them with resources who can help them in choosing to live. Participants don’t need any formal preparation to attend the training.

Mental Health First Aid – Inuit

A three-day course designed for Inuit and those who work and live in Inuit Nunangat. Provides skills to confidently engage in effective conversations about mental wellness, recognize common mental health and wellness issues, and decrease the stigma and discrimination around mental health.

Indigenous Cultural Competency (ICC)

A two-day training that uncovers Canada’s hidden relationship with Indigenous peoples and identifies the barriers to reconciliation. While this training is not specific to suicide prevention, it provides participants with the knowledge of Indigenous history, addressing racism, and how to effectively build relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities.

To find out when and where the next training sessions are taking place, contact training@gov.nu.ca or embracelife@inuusiq.com.

What to do

This document can educate you on the ways to discuss suicide safely, identify warning signs of suicide, and what to do if someone is exhibiting those warning signs.

SUICIDE PREVENTION APPLICATION FORM