Health Strategy Holds Suicide Prevention Forum
Monday, June 15, 2009 at 14:06
A conference on suicide prevention provided people in the Prince Albert area with valuable insights and advice on dealing with a problem that has seriously affected several northern communities.
Community leaders, outreach workers, elders and other residents discussed what the issue is doing to their communities and how to prevent it.
A chemical dependency worker from the Keewatin Yatthe Regional Health Authority, in northwest Saskatchewan, said there were five suicides in their health region between July 2007 and August 2008.
Organized by the Northern Health Strategy, the conference was aimed at coordinating an approach to the problem.
One outreach worker said people often point fingers when someone takes their own life but community approaches are the most effective solutions.
Some proposed solutions to the crisis included training local elders to work with youth, and creating strategies to help youth build identity, resilience and culture.
Meanwhile, La Loche Mayor Georgina Jolibois said northern villages need to focus more on the positive things happening in their midst.
Linda Cairns, suicide prevention co-ordinator with the Prince Albert Grand Council said youth need to be empowered more.
Cairns noted that youth are often invited to conferences on suicide, but usually end up sitting at the table with nothing to do.
She said youth can become part of the solution, if they’re included in the work.