CANADA: Nunavut Funds Community-Based Suicide Prevention Plan

July 14, 2017

News Type:  Weekly Spark, Weekly Spark News

CBC News

The Nunavut territory in northern Canada has announced a $35 million, five-year suicide prevention plan that will focus on community efforts. Produced by the Nunavut government in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Embrace Life Council, and other organizations, the plan aims to empower local groups to develop and implement programs at the community level without having to submit applications to the territory for funding. It allocates $16 million for programs to help address suicide in the community, such as mental health services and early childhood education. In addition to supporting community-based programs, the plan also dedicates resources to social media strategies. The Nunavut government has collaborated with Facebook to make culturally competent crisis services available through the social media platform, which will provide a link to the First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line“Our communities know what they need,” said Nunavut Health Minister George Hickes. “We’ve just got to be able to give them the resources to deliver.”

Spark Extra! Learn more about suicide prevention in Nunavut.