Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Sep 19/01) - The Spousal Abuse Counselling program in Rankin Inlet has taken a crucial step by hiring a counsellor co-ordinator.

Rankin's Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre has hired David Mablick to run its Spousal Abuse Counselling program. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

The program, which will be delivered by the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre, announced the appointment of David Mablick earlier this month.

Mablick is originally from Igloolik and Pond Inlet, but was most recently working in Yellowknife as a Salvation Army counsellor.

Fluent in both English and Inuktitut, Mablick has extensive experience working with people in half-way houses, victims of domestic violence and children with problems.

"I had been doing this type of work previously and then I kind of got into something else, but when the opportunity arose to get back into counselling I went for it," says Mablick.

"I love this type of work and when I read the original proposal, the thing that grabbed me right away was that it's a community-owned program, started by the community for the community.

"I had never gone through a process quite like that before and thought it would be very interesting to be a part of."

Friendship centre executive director Myrna Michon says she's delighted to have found an Inuk who can both run the program and serve as a counsellor.

"When we received David's resume, we were so pleased to see he was interested in helping to get this program going and to be directly involved as a counsellor," says Michon. "He is highly respected and known all over Nunavut."

With Mablick on board, the program will now enter the community consultation phase of its development.

He will meet with individuals and groups in the community to gather the information he needs to develop the program.

"Although some of our priorities will be mandated by the justice system, we have considerable freedom in the development of the program," he says.

"Because it is a program for people in Rankin Inlet, we need to know what they would like to see in a program of this sort and I will be consulting them."