A mental health professional in the Northwest Territories is encouraging people who need support to reach out for help whenever they need it.
Mallory Minerson is the regional clinical supervisor for mental health and addictions in the Beaufort Delta. She was working in Fort Smith when a plane crashed near the community last week, killing six people.
“People are going to be experiencing different reactions to a loss like this, it will impact all of us differently,” Minerson said, encouraging people to “be gentle with themselves.”
“Whatever you’re experiencing is normal for you,” she added. “We’re available whenever you feel like you might need support because that might be today, it might be a month from now, it might be six months from now when something comes up. There’s no time limit on how we process things.”
The territorial health and social services authority said it sent three additional counsellors to Fort Smith in response to the tragedy. A spokesperson with the authority said there are also on-the-ground counselling supports for front-line workers.
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‘Fort Smith is exceptionally strong’
Counselling is currently being offered around the clock in the town. People in Fort Smith can access support through the community counselling program at 867-872-6310 or through the health centre’s emergency department outside of regular business hours.
Other organizations and residents in the community have also been offering supports.
“Fort Smith is exceptionally strong,” said Minerson, who previously worked in the town as a community counsellor and considers Fort Smith her home in the NWT.
“They’re a community that does come together and take care of everyone.”
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‘We’re all connected’
Minerson said people in other communities in the North may also be affected by the plane crash.
“We’re all connected,” she said.
Minerson said people across the NWT can access local counselling through the community counselling program and the health authority has other supports available.
Minerson said counsellors who are redeployed to communities facing crises have training and strong backgrounds in addressing trauma.
“We know that most of what people are experiencing in times of crises … they need people to be present to hold whatever they’re feeling at that time and to be non-judgmental,” she said.
“Often there’s fear, there’s questions, there’s grief, there’s pain. And so it’s our job to, and that’s part of clinical mental health training, is to be able to provide that support and to know how to sit and hold that space for people and not become traumatized by it ourselves.”
There are several helplines for anyone experiencing a crisis or extreme distress.
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: 9-8-8
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, by texting “CONNECT” to 686868, or live chat
- Hope for Help Wellness Help Line offers support for Indigenous people: 1-855-242-3310
- Wellness Together Canada crisis lines: adults can text “WELLNESS” to 741741, youth can text “WELLNESS” to 686868, and frontline workers can text “FRONTLINE” to 741741
- National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
There are also several virtual self-care and mental wellness supports that NWT residents can access at any time.
- Wellness Together Canada is a national mental health and substance use portal with a variety of resources
- Root’d is an app for managing anxiety and panic attacks
- Breathing room is an e-mental health program for youth and young adults that helps to manage stress, depression and anxiety
- 7 cups is a peer support chat and self-help app
