Supporting Wellbeing builds capacity with Fort Simpson training

A group that uses land-based programming to address mental health challenges is heading to Fort Simpson to train more facilitators.

Supporting Wellbeing, which won $500,000 from the Arctic Inspiration Prize in 2022, exists to give leaders of on-the-land programming “culturally relevant mental health response training.”

To do that, though, Supporting Wellbeing needs to first train its own leaders..

In a news release, the group said it will use the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation’s new tourism centre from February 24 to March 2 as a space to train new facilitators.

“One of the biggest issues faced by Supporting Wellbeing is the limited number of trained facilitators available to facilitate trainings,” the group stated.

“To date, only five people are fully trained to facilitate the trainings, which require a minimum of two facilitators.”

The upcoming course at the tourism centre is expected to create eight new facilitators, Supporting Wellbeing stated.

“Supporting Wellbeing was designed by and for northerners, so it’s important to us that we are training people from every region of the NWT to deliver the Supporting Wellbeing training,” said project director Rachel Cluderay.

“We need local people who can deliver this training who are knowledgeable about the cultural context and needs of the communities and regions.”

Supporting Wellbeing was developed after on-the-land leaders at a 2018 gathering said they needed made-in-the-NWT, trauma-informed and land-based training.

By the end of 2022, the program had been recognized with an innovation award from Canada’s premiers.

Applications to receive the training from Supporting Wellbeing’s facilitators are open until Friday, February 28.

“Indigenous governments, non-profit organizations, and other government agencies are invited to submit applications to host one of SWB’s free mental health trainings for on-the-land programmers,” the group stated.

The training is 27 hours long, not including on-the-land activities, and is usually held over five days for up to 12 participants.

People who take part are taught about creating community, setting up camp for wellbeing, intergenerational trauma, conflict resolution, suicide intervention, and supporting wellbeing when the program ends.

“The organization currently has funding and capacity to support five free trainings per year and is prioritizing communities outside of Yellowknife,” the group stated.