MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET - Nasivvik School student Abby Ootova's niece and best friend have both committed suicide.

Pond Inlet's wellness co-ordinator Joanna Oolateeta delivers Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) to 48 residents of Pond Inlet in early November. - photo courtesy of Tessa Lochhead

"When someone talks about it I didn't want to hear about it again," she said.

But her feelings changed when she heard there was going to be Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) in Pond Inlet earlier this month.

"I wanted to go and release the emotions to come out from my feelings and my heart," said Ootova.

She was one of 48 residents of the community who took the training, aimed at making people confident, comfortable and competent in helping prevent suicide.

The training was delivered by Pond Inlet's wellness co-ordinator Joanna Oolateeta, David Mablick and Renee Schmidt to other students, community health representatives, elders, foster parents, RCMP officers, nurses, social services representatives, wellness committee members, district education authority members and residents in both Inuktitut and English. Each workshop was two days long.

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.

Now that she has taken the training, Ootova said she is relieved and has the tools to assist others.

"Nothing is stopping me," she said.

For Nasivvik School teacher Tessa Lochhead, having 48 more people with ASIST training is nothing less than excellent.

"It means people of all ages are working together toward making Pond Inlet a suicide safer community," she said.

The first day of training is focused on discussing how suicide has impacted individual's lives. Lochhead said this is a very emotional process and many people have trouble returning the second day.

"At at first there is that bridge people say they need to cross and once you have discussed suicide you get over that hurdle, she said.

Having trainers from the community, Lochhead said allows for other community members to feel more comfortable to discuss the issue.

"It was pretty emotional and we talked about our personal experience and we listened to other people's experiences, it was very sad," said student Christine Awa, who also took the training.

The second day focuses on empowering people to believe they can make a difference by providing them with the tools and a checklist to follow when talking to someone who is suicidal.

Awa said using the suicide intervention model, she learned how to look for indications that someone might be thinking of committing suicide. These include extreme behaviour changes and loss of interest in hobbies.

Participants do scenarios and have to play the role of the victim and the suicide first-aider.

"It was a positive experience despite perhaps it being a difficult journey," said Lochhead.

She said she would love to do another training session in the community as it would be full. Now all the teachers and staff at Nasivvik School have the training as do four or five staff at the elementary school.

Ootova and Awa said they both would recommend the training to anyone at any age but especially young people.

"I took this program because I wanted to let everyone know I am out there to help and most of all to listen, to talk them through it to make sure they are going to be safe," said Awa, who has saved some of her cousins from committing suicide but has lost some of her friends.

She said she also recommends the training to those who are contemplating suicide as it would show them how much their decision could hurt other people.

For Ootova, it is not only about helping others but also about helping yourself.

"You can help others but you too will also feel better," she said.

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