CANADA: Nunavik conference trains record number in suicide prevention
October 16, 2015
Puttautiit, a multi-day suicide prevention conference led by and for the Inuit of Quebec’s Nunavik region, drew participants from every part of the area. The region’s first suicide prevention and healing conference, Puttautiit was based on a similar event that takes place annually in Montreal, but was designed to focus more specifically on Inuit culture and needs. The gathering included an opportunity to take the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and sixty participants received their certifications. Workshops were offered on topics such as cultural identity, healing, and grieving. “My hope is that we’ll realize that it’s okay to talk about suicide and I really think participants are open and willing,” said Valerie Lock, chairperson of the region’s suicide prevention committee. On the final day of the conference, the conference was opened to the host community of Puvirnituq, with a “well-being exhibition” of support services in the region.
Spark Extra! Read about a Canadian-led study to better understand suicide in the regions that surround the North Pole.