Embracing Life is a north-wide, cross-disciplinary partnership that facilitates action to reduce suicide by sharing the strengths of communities and working together through health promotion, suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention. We all have a role to play when it comes to suicide prevention and health promotion, and Embracing Life encourages communities to take ownership by bringing ideas forward and committing to positive, on-going change in partnership with front line workers and agencies across the north.

1. Embracing Life: Northern Saskatchewan Working Together
Amanda Laboucane & Amanda Frain
Ministry of Government Relations & Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region
www.qualitysummit.ca
#QS14

2. Northern Saskatchewan

3. Suicide in Northern Saskatchewan
• Rate of suicide 2 – 5 times higher than provincial average
• Majority of deaths by suicide are youth aged 15 – 24
• Contributing factors include:
• living in poverty
• insufficient family or social supports
• poor mental health
• intergenerational trauma
• disconnect from culture
• substance abuse

4. Deaths by Suicide
Canada
2000-2007
North Sask
2000-2009

5. Hospitalization for Self-Harm
North Sask
and Sask
2002-2010

6. Suicide in Northern Saskatchewan
Impact of Suicide – Youth Perspective
https://vimeo.com/25224183

7. Setting the Context
• There have been and are ongoing efforts to address suicide in the region
• Embracing Life was formed as an ongoing initiative to build on existing
initiatives and continue to reduce suicide in northern Saskatchewan

8. What is Embracing Life?
Embracing Life is a north-wide, cross-disciplinary partnership that
facilitates action to reduce suicide by sharing the strengths of
communities and working together through health promotion,
suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention. We all have a
role to play when it comes to suicide prevention and health
promotion, and Embracing Life encourages communities to take
ownership by bringing ideas forward and committing to positive,
on-going change in partnership with front line workers and agencies
across the north.
Embracing Life is a north-wide, cross-disciplinary partnership that
facilitates action to reduce suicide by sharing the strengths of
communities and working together through health promotion,
suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention. We all have a
role to play when it comes to suicide prevention and health
promotion, and Embracing Life encourages communities to take
ownership by bringing ideas forward and committing to positive,
on-going change in partnership with front line workers and agencies
across the north.

9. What is Embracing Life?
Embracing Life is a north-wide, cross-disciplinary partnership that
facilitates action to reduce suicide by sharing the strengths of
communities and working together through health promotion,
suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention. We all have a
role to play when it comes to suicide prevention and health
promotion, and Embracing Life encourages communities to take
ownership by bringing ideas forward and committing to positive,
on-going change in partnership with front line workers and agencies
across the north.
Embracing Life is a north-wide, cross-disciplinary partnership that
facilitates action to reduce suicide by sharing the strengths of
communities and working together through health promotion,
suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention. We all have a
role to play when it comes to suicide prevention and health
promotion, and Embracing Life encourages communities to take
ownership by bringing ideas forward and committing to positive,
on-going change in partnership with front line workers and agencies
across the north.

10. Breakout Session #1
1. Based on the description of the problem and context of suicide in northern
Saskatchewan, what similarities exist between our area and yours?
2. Based on the description of the problem and context of suicide in northern
Saskatchewan, what differences exist between our area and yours?
3. When it comes to working to reduce suicide, what can Embracing Life learn
from you?
4. When it comes to working to reduce suicide, what can you learn from
Embracing Life ?

11. Embracing Life Workshop

12. Embracing Life Workshop

13. Embracing Life Workshop

14. Embracing Life Workshop

15. Outcomes

16. Breakout Session #2
Your Activities Here!

17. Needs of Communities
Needs of Communities – Youth Perspective

18. Embracing Life Strategy
• Community engagement as continuous improvement
• On-going, community based
• At the Embracing Life Workshop
• At the Quality Summit
• Sustaining momentum
• Resource mapping
• Engage local and regional inter-agency groups
• Community specific suicide prevention plans

19. Sustaining Communities
NORTH WIDE
Northern Healthy Communities Partnership (NHCP) NHCP Youth Development Team Northern Role Model Campaign 15,000
FAR NORTH
Northern Hamlet of Stony Rapids Cultural Empowerment Through the Arts 15,000
Northern Settlement of Uranium City Go Girls Mentoring Project 9,150
NORTHWEST
Twin Lakes Community School (Buffalo Narrows) in Partnership with Buffalo Narrows Friendship Centre “Never Give Up” Workshop & Cultural Guidance Initiative 21,500
La Loche Friendship Centre Suicide is Preventable 15,000
Sipisihk Tawicihitoyahk Leadership Inc. (Beauval) Reclaiming Our Voice – Youth Development 15,000
Northern Village of Green Lake Community Drug Strategy Family, Child and Youth Recreation Prevention Activity Nights 14,350
Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) Being Someone Who Cares 14,000
Northern Hamlet of Jans Bay The Northern Hamlet of Jans Bay Addictions Awareness Week 12,000
Kineepik Métis Local #9, Pinehouse Lake Reclaiming Aboriginal Life Program 10,000
NORTHEAST
Cumberland House Cree Nation (CHCN), Victoria Laliberte Memorial Health Centre CHCN Embrace Life Program – Suicide Prevention and Training 15,000
Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Empowering Youth Action Council 15,000
Hector Thiboutot Community School (HTCS) NLSD #113 (Sandy Bay) HTCS Cultural Awareness Camp: Celebrating Life! 13,000
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), Southend Southend Suicide Prevention Project 11,000
Northern Village of Sandy Bay CARE Team Sandy Bay CAREs 10,000
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), Deschambault Lake Deschambault Lake Suicide Prevention Project 8,000
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), Pelican Narrows Pelican Narrows Youth Suicide Prevention Project 8,000
Total 221,000

20. Working Together
• We all have a role to play when it
comes to suicide prevention
• Your contributions matter
• Output and ideas obtained during
Quality Summit
• You are invited to continue to be
actively involved
• Email sign up list
• www.EmbracingLifeSK.com

21. Moving Forward
I as an Elder and knowing that some of the teachings that were taught to me
by my Elders, we value life as a people. We value the importance of our
journey as the Creator wanted us to journey through life. This life is an
extension of our spiritual life. The physical world and the spiritual world are
both real. When we journey in life we are working towards going to the
spiritual world and the Creator knows when that will be. We even value life
at the very beginning of conception. That’s how valuable life is. As a young
child, we feel that young people, the younger you are the closer you are to
the Creator, because your spirit is bigger than ours as adults. However, I
know that sometimes life does have its challenges and that people do
despair sometimes in their life. If that happens to you, it is very important
that you connect with someone who can help you. I know that people have
thought about not being in this life from different age levels, from young
people to Elders, it’s not unusual and you are not the first one. Give us one
of the greatest gifts that you can give, give us the gift of your life.

22. Embracing Life Committee
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations
First Nations University of Canada
Health Canada
Keewatin Yatthé Health Region
Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region
Ministry of Government Relations
Ministry of Justice
New North SANC Services Inc.
Northern Human Services Partnership
Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority
Northern Lights School Division
Population Health Unit
Prince Albert Grand Council

23. Acknowledgements & References
• Irvine J, Quinn B, Stockdale D. Northern Saskatchewan Health Indicators Report
2011. Athabasca Health Authority and Keewatin Yatthé and Mamawetan Churchill
River Regional Health Authorities. Population Health Unit, La Ronge, 2011
• Photos from Embracing Life Workshop, October 2013. Used with permission.
• Elder’s Wisdom:
• Elder Julie Pitzel, Prince Albert
• Youth Videos:
• Naomi Corrigal, Beauval
• Francis Laliberte, Beauval

24. Questions?
Contact Me:
Amanda Laboucane
Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry of
Government Relations
amanda.laboucane@gov.sk.ca
www.qualitysummit.ca
#QS14