Isuarsivik treatment centre on road to recovery

As many readers of Nunatsiaq News are aware, Isuarsivik Treatment Centre in Kuujjuaq was closed down last fall and has been going through a period of transition (transformation) ever since.

We are in the process of reorganizing our services, to better meet the needs of clients and we have begun to restaff the centre, starting with the hiring of a new executive director.

The board of directors has been meeting weekly and has:

* conducted an extensive operational review of all aspects of the treatment centre;
* formed a task force on how to best implement the recommendations of this review;
* hired an Inuit consultant to help us with the program, especially the Inuit-Inuttitut language components;
* researched ways to certify the Inuit counselors;
* undergone training;
* begun the process of hiring an executive director;
* and will hire a senior counselor/clinical supervisor and some new counselors in early spring.

As Isuarsivik is an independent, non-profit, community-based organization, board members have also been continuously fundraising.

A timeline has been set for the hiring and training of the remaining staff. An important component of the centre’s program is the development of qualified and skilled counselors, who will guide participants through addiction recovery, group therapy, role-playing, psycho-drama, men’s and women’s group counseling, individual counseling, and physical activities.

We are considering extending the treatment program to six weeks from the current 28 days, so that Isuarsivik can offer a more comprehensive program.

The treatment program is also being revised to ensure that a holistic approach is used, combining both contemporary and traditional treatment methods. Inuit ceremonies and rituals will play an important and integral part of this program.

We also want to ensure that aftercare services are available after treatment to reduce the risks of relapse.

This process of reorganization is time-consuming, so we are focusing on an opening date of August, 2006. We want to offer the best possible service to the Inuit of Nunavik and Nunavut. To do so, we cannot rush.

People wishing to receive treatment services before the reopening of Isuarsivik should call social services in their community to find out how they can proceed. Protocols have been set in place with other treatment centres in the South so anyone who is serious about getting treatment will receive help.

We are looking to the future in other ways, as well. The present treatment facilities are housed in an old building, which is very inadequate, so we have also developed a proposal for a new centre, with a trauma/healing/aftercare component added.

The Nunavik Board of Health and Social Services has been working in collaboration with us and has been tremendously helpful and supportive of our initiatives.

The board shares a common vision with respect to offering the best possible treatment program, and we are excited about the efforts we have made to date and very much look forward to meeting the goals that we have set.

Jeannie May, Mary Aitchison, Larry Watt, Lydia Annahatak Yeates, Jacob Partridge, Dr. Dona Abdelnour, MD, and Dave Forrest, Chair
Kuujjuaq