Nunavut, Canada to provide more suicide intervention training

The government in Canada’s eastern Arctic territory of Nunavut will partner with Nunavut Arctic College and the Nunavut Teachers’ Association to provide more suicide intervention training, Premier and Education Minister Eva Aariak announced yesterday.

“The department will work closely with Nunavut Arctic College to develop a rotating training schedule, so that we offer training in all communities over the next two to three years,” she said in Inuktitut.

“This will ensure that all our schools have trained teachers to help recognize and prevent the immediate risk of suicide.”

Aariak said the teachers’ association will provide $150,000 for the training.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) includes training on how to identify people who may be at risk for suicide, and help them identify and connect with the help they need.

There have been 13 deaths by suicide in the territory since January.