K'ATLODEECHE/HAY RIVER RESERVE - Ofelia Leon's work can be described as being a guide for counsellors at Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre on the Hay River Reserve.

Ofelia Leon: Happy to help people in her role as clinical supervisor at Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"I help them to be better counsellors," said the clinical supervisor at the centre, which mainly combats alcohol addiction.

In her role, Leon oversees the work of three mental health and addictions counsellors, three wellness workers and a cultural helper.

"Another big part of the job is to design the program," she added.

Leon said her job is to create a therapeutically-sound program to treat alcohol addiction among people of all backgrounds, especially one appropriate for the NWT's aboriginal population.

She said it can be "very tricky" since there is almost no research specific to the NWT.

"It's like we are practically creating and innovating, of course with some background," she said. "We are not just picking it up out of the blue."

There has been some relevant research involving aboriginal people in the United States, British Columbia and Ontario, she said.

Leon said the centre's program is designed for group settings, adding aboriginal people heal better in groups.

The centre offers information on alcoholism and coping strategies, physical activities such as walking and setting snares, and self-care in which clients are encouraged to take up activities such as drawing, playing guitar or the drum.

"It's like giving them alternatives," Leon said. "It's not enough to say stop drinking."

Leon said Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre began 14 years ago with a disease model of treating alcohol addiction, but changed its focus to a holistic model about five years ago. The new approach deals with a person's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

"The challenge is to do something that is culturally sensitive and that is evidence-based," she said, adding she is fine tuning the group counselling methods at the centre.

Leon said she judges success in three ways - people stopping addictive behaviour or becoming aware of their problem, having a willingness to come back for more treatment, and looking for help from some other sources in their communities.

Leon came to Canada from Venezuela 15 years ago.

She graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Ottawa's Carleton University in 2003. She also simultaneously earned a four-year degree in contemporary Gestalt group therapy from the Gestalt Institute in Ottawa. Gestalt is a form psychotherapy that emphasizes personal responsibility.

After working as a counsellor with the City of Ottawa's employee assistance program, she came North to work as a mental health and addictions counsellor in Inuvik.

Afterward, she worked for two and a half years as a mental health counsellor with the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.

She moved to Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre four months ago to become the clinical supervisor.

"I'm very happy to be here and I expect to stay here for a long time," said the 39-year-old.

Leon said she finds the work very rewarding.

"First of all, people in the North are incredibly resilient," she said, adding they are also generous with their knowledge.

She said group therapy is quite magical, adding clients connect and begin sharing with each other.

"It's just amazing, absolutely amazing. Their generosity of spirit and their kindness is just out of this world."

She said she finds it very satisfying when people stop their addictive behaviour.

Leon's background helps her deal with aboriginal cultures.

She describes herself as a 'mestiza', which is a South American term similar to Metis, adding her great-grandmother was the last full Caquetio, a sub-tribe of the Arawak people.

"I know what it is to have a rich culture and to have lost it," she said, adding she also knows what it is to be oppressed.