NUNAVUT - All schools in the territory now have at least one staff member with suicide intervention training, according to Peter Geikie, the Department of Education's assistant deputy minister of curriculum and social services.

Two sessions of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) for those working in the territory's schools took place last month. ASIST, which aims at making people confident, comfortable and competent in helping prevent the immediate risk of suicide, was developed by LivingWorks Education, a suicide prevention and intervention training company based in Calgary.

At the Qikiqtani Teachers' Conference held in Iqaluit Feb. 23 to 24, 15 teachers and school staff took part in the training. From Feb. 24 to 25, 30 school community counsellors participated in the training offered in Baker Lake in English and Inuktitut. Geikie said two other counsellors were scheduled to attend but could not make it due to weather.

"This is suicide intervention training," said Jack Hicks, the GN's suicide prevention officer with the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. He said this training is not a suicide prevention workshop and that it was important to distinguish the difference. The ASIST training teaches "practical intervention skills," he said.

Dave Biblow, a senior team leader with LivingWorks Education, was one of the trainers who led the workshop in Baker Lake.

Biblow said the training helps teachers and school staff to identify "invitations of suicide." He defined an invitation as conscious or unconscious signs exhibited by a suicidal person. Examples Biblow cited include being quiet, withdrawing, getting physically ill or missing classes.

"We are teaching staff how they can intervene and talk to those individuals who identify invitations of suicide and how to talk to those people directly," Biblow said.

Once a teacher or staff member has listened to the individual contemplating suicide, they would help the individual complete a review where risks are identified and a "safe plan" is completed. A "safe plan" outlines how a person can manage risk factors that could lead to suicide.

According to Statistics Canada, Nunavut's suicide rate in 2008 was 110 suicides per 100,000 people. The figure is almost nine times higher than the rate for Canada in 2005 of 13 suicides per 100,000 people.

Hicks said it is also important to know that five to 25 per cent of suicides go unreported.

Co-principal of Attagoyuk High School in Pangnirtung Lena Metuq took the training in Iqaluit during the teachers' conference.

"It gives you the tools to deal with people who are thinking about suicide," she said.

Metuq said she learned many things including questioning techniques, warning signs and how to support a person who is thinking about committing suicide. She added that the training was easy.

At her school, she said five of her staff have completed the training.

"Everyone should have this training because we deal with many people at our jobs and if everyone had it that would be ideal," Metuq said.

Hicks said that in Nunavut in particular, the first person to detect that someone is in distress would be a family member, teacher or friend instead of a health care worker.

Biblow said the more teachers who have ASIST training working in the school system, the better.

"Students are more likely to talk to a teacher they know," he said.

Geikie said the department is working with its partners to make sure training is available and are looking to offer it to teachers and school staff as a potential development opportunity.

Within the department, Geikie said they are in the process of filling an orientation and mentoring position. This will be done in partnership with the Nunavut Teachers' Association. He said that one of the tasks for the individual hired for this position will be to work on developing an orientation program for staff new to the department.

"Dealing with a sudden loss of life or other emergencies will need to be incorporated into the program," he said.

On Nov. 30, 2009 Education Minister Louis Taparjuk told members of the legislative assembly a version of the ASIST program adapted to meet the territory's needs is being developed. When it is completed, it will be known as Uqaqatigillluk!/Talk About It!