Prevent Teen Suicide

Youth Suicide Prevention & Awareness

In response to the Canada wide public health issue regarding suicide and mental health, The Open Doors has created a program with the goal to bring suicide awareness and prevention. Our goal is to abolish the stigma that surrounds suicide and mental health, and open a safe conversation with youth ages 8 – 24. 

For more information, please contact: mirae@theopendoors.ca and/or daniel@theopendoors.ca
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Youth Navigation

The Youth Navigators will provide person centered, trauma informed support to youth ages 11-18 that includes:

Crisis intervention
The Youth Navigators will support the client and the family to both provide prevention and intervention by connecting to youth, appropriately assessing, case planning, connecting them to programs/ services, and providing case management and follow up to ensure the clients needs are being met.
Utilization of the Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) model that identifies youth at risk and pre-emptively creates plans to support the youth so that larger scale issues and/or incidents are mitigated will be utilized. The Navigator would utilize this model to bring service providers together to articulate strategies to support a youth and mitigate risk, clearly identifying the role each service provider has to reduce chaos in response, potential gaps and/or duplication of responses.

Connection to resources
Resources exist in Nunavut, however are not readily accessibly in Kinngait. The Navigator will have access to technology in order to facilitate appointments with medical, mental health, addictions and other supports in Nunavut, specifically in Iqaluit and available nationally where they are not available in Nunavut. Connection to resources will also include culturally specific resources such as classes, time on the land, skills development, etc.
Example: counselling available virtually.

Appropriate Assessment completion
Completion of assessments to measure resiliency, well being, needs, emotional capacity, etc. These would then be utilized to appropriate determine support and care plans for the clients. This would also help to identify further need for supports and articulate clearly what that support needs to be. It removes the guess work and time and energy trying to support a client without knowing the how. This information is important for many service providers to be able to accurately assess need in community, positioning of resources and interventions, development of new resources and return on investment for those resources.

Ongoing support and relationship building
Connection has been proven to reduce addiction and suicide ideation. It increases attachment, well being, resiliency and capacity within youth. By providing relationship-based services and building rapport with the youth, modelling and teaching can occur, community capacity can be built and youth can be empowered to make healthy choices based on their wants and needs.

Interagency Participation/ Collaboration
The Youth Navigators will participate in interagency meetings. Through triaging and navigating, the Youth Navigators will appropriately create dialogue with service providers and provide the overarching case management. This will reduce pressure on other resources (education, CFS), allowing for cohesive responses to prevention and intervention to occur.

For more information, please contact Nunavut@theopendoors.ca

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Adult Navigation

The Adult Navigator will provide person centered, trauma informed support to adults ages 18+ that includes:

Crisis intervention
The Adult Navigators will support the client to both provide prevention and intervention by connecting to the adult client, appropriately assessing, case planning, connecting them to programs/ services, and providing case management and follow up to ensure the clients needs are being met.

Connection to resources
Resources exist in Nunavut, however are not readily accessibly in Kinngait. The Navigator will have access to technology in order to facilitate appointments with medical, mental health, addictions and other supports in Nunavut. Connection to resources will also include culturally specific resources such as classes, time on the land, skills development, etc.
Example: counselling available virtually, client supported by Navigator during the process.

Appropriate Assessment completion
Completion of assessments to measure resiliency, well being, needs, emotional capacity, etc. These would then be utilized to appropriate determine support and care plans for the clients. This would also help to identify further need for supports and articulate clearly what that support needs to be. It removes the guess work and time and energy trying to support a client without knowing the how. This information is important for many service providers to be able to accurately assess need in community, positioning of resources and interventions, development of new resources and return on investment for those resources.
Example: a client who is frequently in contact with the criminal justice system may benefit from assessments indicating actual needs and functioning. This may reduce use of justice system by providing accurate information to other service providers, and providing access for the client to specific resources that can target the areas of support needed.

Ongoing support and relationship building
Connection has been proven to reduce addiction and suicide ideation. It increases attachment, well being, resiliency and capacity within humans. By providing relationship-based services and building rapport with the clients, modelling and teaching can occur, community capacity can be built and the adults can be empowered to make healthy choices based on their wants and needs.

Interagency Participation/ Collaboration
The Adult Navigators will participate in interagency meetings. Through triaging and navigating, the Adult Navigators will appropriately create dialogue with service providers and provide the 5 overarching case management. This will reduce pressure on other resources (mental health, RCMP),
allowing for cohesive responses to prevention and intervention to occur.

For more information, please contact Nunavut@theopendoors.ca

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Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT)

The Crisis Intervention Resource Team staff will provide person centered, trauma informed support to Mental Health crisis calls within the community.

Crisis intervention
The CIRT staff will support the client to intervene in and subsequently reduce crisis including, but not limited to support with de-escalations and interventions within the community. This would reduce the impact of trauma, suicide ideation, de-escalate before force or weapons are involved, and model the de-escalation process to the clients and community thereby creating capacity.

Connection to resources
The CIRT staff would communicate with the Youth and Adult Navigators to collaborate should the client already be on the Navigators case load, or should they require being on the caseload. 

Interagency Participation/ Collaboration
The CIRT staff will participate in interagency meetings. Through triaging and navigating, the CIRT staff will appropriately create dialogue with service providers and provide the overarching case management. This will reduce pressure on other resources (mental health, RCMP), allowing for cohesive responses to prevention and intervention to occur.

For more information, please contact Nunavut@theopendoors.ca

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SMART Recovery

SMART is a self-help program for recovery from addictive behavior. Our purpose is to support individuals who have chosen to abstain, or are considering abstinence from any type of addictive behavior, (substances or activities), by teaching how to change self-defeating thinking emotions, and actions; and to work towards long-term satisfactions and quality of life.

If you want to address any addiction or harmful habit, SMART Recovery can help. Major changes can be overwhelming. SMART’s practical tools and social supports are proven effective to support and sustain successful long-term life change.
Harmful habits include substance addictions (to alcohol and other drugs), as well as activity addictions (to behaviors like sex, relationships, spending, gambling, eating, exercise, and self-injury). No matter your harmful habit, SMART can help you change it.

SMART is not just any mutual-support program. Our science-based approach emphasizes self-empowerment and self-reliance. There’s no lifetime commitment; you decide when the time is right to move on. You choose how to personalize your own plan for successful change. SMART can be used both as a stand-alone program or in combination with other recovery paths. SMART Recovery recognizes the only one who can become truly expert on your recovery is you.

How is SMART Different?
It is based on modern cognitive/behavioral methods, particularly Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT). SMART teaches people practical, proven self-management and recovery skills.


What are Groups Like?
SMART Recovery® groups are small, allowing for cross-talk, discussion and practice of many specific methods. The focus is on learning how to increase your motivation to quit, handling urges without acting on them, developing new ways of coping with problems and creating a healthy, positive lifestyle.

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Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)

The Open Doors is funded by the Government of Nunavut Department of Health to run Community Wellness for the community of Kinngait. 

The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) is one of the programs funded under Community Wellness.

CPNP aims to reduce the incidence of unhealthy birth weights, improve the health of both infant and mother and encourage breastfeeding. Overarching conversations and learning take place around all Children Safety, Nutrition, and Care.

  • Breastfeeding Support
  • Child developmental delays information/support
  • Child safety
  • Childcare emergency services referrals
  • Collective food preparation and/or purchasing
  • Cultural awareness
  • Dental care – Babies
  • Drop-in activities
  • Family and social support
  • Family violence prevention/support
  • Father Involvement – Group open to both parents
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) information and services
  • Food budgeting
  • Food security assistance
  • Healthy living activities/physical activities
  • Home environment safety (child proofing)
  • Knowledge of child development and basic child care
  • Leadership development
  • Mental health support or education
  • Nutrition education
  • Obesity prevention / Prenatal Diabetes
  • Outreach activities
  • Positive parenting
  • Postnatal support or education
  • Postpartum depression
  • Pre/postnatal information/support
  • Provision of resources (e.g., toy lending, resource library, clothing, baby equipment) – currently being developed
  • Facebook Parenting Resource Group Page
  • Self-esteem
  • Social isolation
  • Special needs parenting
  • Substance abuse/addiction
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
  • Tobacco reduction/cessation as it relates to fetal & infant health
  • Toy and play safety education

For more information, please contact  CommunityWellness@theopendoors.ca 

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The Open Doors Elder Support Group

A group class to ensure Elders in community have an open non-judgmental space to share time, stories, and their struggles “peer support” style. This group is led by Open Doors CIRT member with support from other Territorial Elders as guest speaker’s dependent on need.

For more information, please contact Nunavut@theopendoors.ca

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The Open Doors Bereavement Support Group

Allow those who have lost a loved one to share their struggles with others who have experienced a similar loss. The Open Doors Bereavement Support Groups are “peer” groups, made up of people who have the same experiences. Led by an Open Doors Crisis Intervention Resource Team member with support from Elders in the community.

First-Aid kit is an important part of safety in emergancy situations

Standard First Aid & CPR

Comprehensive two-day course offering first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for those who need training due to work requirements or who want more knowledge to respond to emergencies at home. Course meets legislation requirements for provincial/territorial worker safety and insurance boards and includes the latest first aid and CPR guidelines.

For more information, please contact Nunavut@theopendoors.ca