Youth told of mental health services
Educational opportunity comes to East Three on Mental Wellness Day
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, November 20, 2014
INUVIK
With some of the highest suicide rates in the nation occurring in the North, it's not a surprise that various Inuvik social services organizations would band together to promote a Mental Wellness Day.
That's just what happened Nov. 13 at East Three School when the day, now an annual event, was held.
"November is Mental Health Awareness Month," said Darlene Jean, organizer of the event and a counsellor at East Three Secondary School.
"So as a part of that what we do is have the various organizations within Inuvik that offer support for mental health come to share their knowledge and what they offer to our youth in particular.
"We have all of the students come through, plus the grade 4, 5 and 6 (from East Three Elementary School) to enlighten them as to what's available in Inuvik if, in fact, they ever need help with the support services other than what's available through the school."
East Three provides a fairly comprehensive range of services, Jean said, but still more is both needed and ready to serve after formal school hours are over. That's where the other organizations come into play, she added.
"It's all of us coming together to support them in any mental-wellness that they may need," she said.
"There's always a need for that. Statistics show that aboriginal women have a higher rate of abuse and mental-health issues than anywhere else in Canada. Why that is, I don't know, but it would make an interesting study."
"It's an event we hold annually," said co-organizer Ali McConnell, the new victim services co-ordinator for the Inuvik Justice Committee.
"It's an opportunity to have various organizations come into the high school and we have youth from Grade 4 to Grade 12 come through and they get to see the different support services that are available in the community to ensure they maintain good mental health."
The organizations included public health, Inuvik Youth and Family Support, the Inuvik Youth Centre, victim services, social services, community counselling and community wellness, along with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, McConnell said.
"I think in any community there's a high demand for organizations that promote mental wellness," she said. "I think Inuvik does a really great job ensuring there are different organizations doing different jobs providing some really great support."
The ready availability of those support services weren't lost on the students passing through the exhibits.
Marshall Brown was one of the more interested students perusing the various materials on hand.
"I think there's a lot of information available," he said.
Paris Wainman said she liked the event because "you can learn stuff about where you can go for help."
