Sapummivik’s front-line workers got no support from bosses

As a former employee of Sapummivik Youth Rehabilitation Centre in Salluit, I was sorry to read about the Quebec Youth Rights Commission report recently.

It’s not because I was surprised, it’s because again it took a lot of time to report what is wrong with the youth protection system and again it will most likely take longer to fix the problems. Until then, many of Nunavik’s youth will suffer because of the lack of appropriate help.

It’s not fair.

What I will write is mostly about the “rehab” centre. I can say that most of my former Inuit and qallunaat colleagues really wanted to help and to do their best. I have invested more than 15 years with youth: from teaching to coaching, helping to mentoring. Nevertheless, I am proud to say that I have worked with very good people there in Salluit and some are still my friends today, even though I moved out some time ago.

I could say that 90 per cent of the problems were not from the front-line staff but from the top (starting at the coordinator’s level). How can you give 100 per cent at your job when you can’t get support from the bosses?

As in your editorial, I can also provide random examples:

* Some coordinators were hired without experience or knowledge about Inuit culture (actually, it seemed that “no experience with Inuit culture” was an unwritten prerequisite for the job);
* A very high turnover rate for qualified staff, mostly due of the many obstacles “provided” by Ungava Social Services and HR (it seemed that the more you liked your job as a qallunaat, the worse some qallunaat at the top would treat you);
* No resources in cultural activities to help with the healing and getting in touch with the Inuit ways (well, they had some for a brief period and the kids really improved);
* A coordinator who thinks and says loudly that “they had what they deserved” (I wouldn’t like this coordinator as a neighbour either).

For a brief period, there was a coordinator who made a difference for the young clients — the exception! This Inuk coordinator introduced a lot of culture-based activities, she bought sports gear, she bought new clothes and blankets, etc. The youth really felt safe and welcome. Unfortunately, most of what she accomplished was cancelled out by the next coordinator.

I have no mind-reading abilities but it really seemed that somebody, somewhere at the top of the food chain, doesn’t want the rehab centre to work…

Of course, it’s difficult to hire qualified people in the North, but it’s always possible to provide them with on-site appropriate training, especially the front-line workers. As I wrote above, there were a lot of good people with the will and passion to help make the rehab work.

I believe there are still some today, over there, working at the top of the hill, only hoping to have more resources to make a difference. This job is not easy and it really gets tough sometimes. Even the male staff — big guys like me — were sometimes afraid to intervene in very difficult situations. I have seen staff getting hurt or too stressed to go on.

But we must not forget the suffering of the rehab’s young clients or other young people who need help from a system that was broken. How about giving them more for healing, protection and support?

Sapummivik: it should more than a simple shelter from pain — it should be a place to heal, to get your life back and to prepare for the next challenges in life!

I would ask that you withhold my name and where I am from, as I am still employed in an Inuit community and I work with many organizations. Nakurmiik!

(Name withheld by request)
Nunavut