Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Apr 01/02) - Dealing with traumatic experiences is a way of life for many people in Canada's North.

The vast array of smaller communities often means the people responding to fatal incidents know the victims they're dealing with on a personal basis.

Personnel from across Nunavut gathered in Rankin Inlet recently to learn the skills necessary to cope with such emotionally intense incidents.

The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) program was delivered by Edmonton's Bob van Goethem.

van Goethem developed the CISD program for the Alberta government and has been delivering it for more than 25 years.

CISD was initially aimed at fire, ambulance, military and police personnel.

During the past three decades, however, many groups have found it to be beneficial.

"We've delivered the program to people from the educational field with some of the violent incidents that have happened in that profession," says van Goethem.

"Other incidents such as the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sept. 11 tragedy have demonstrated the need to provide that kind of support for different people."

In addition to Rankin, van Goethem has conducted programs in Inuvik and Cambridge Bay.

"We trained a number of elders on how to provide support because mental health workers can't always be parachuted in.

"When we did the practice sessions in some communities, they did it the same way as they've been doing it for centuries.

"The training does, in many ways, resemble the healing circle."

Those trained in CISD are able to provide support for traumatized people, but, at the same time, they learn to use some of the strategies for themselves.

van Goethem says the CISD program demystifies trauma, so a person exhibiting symptoms realizes it's a normal reaction that will subside.

Once trained, people involved with traumatic incidents can employ the skills and strategies they've been taught to help themselves.

van Goethem says people will also notice if a person they're working with is struggling.

"Sometimes we don't know we're in trouble and need a friend to tell us. The peer support aspect of this program is very helpful in that regard. It's not normal to be exposed to violence. When it happens, it can rattle some people deeply."