Purpose

The purpose of Supporting Wellbeing is to provide tools, resources and tips for people who deliver land-based programming that will better prepare them to mitigate and respond to mental health challenges in remote environments. This training is designed for people who have some level of experience in planning and delivering on-the-land programs, but who have little-to-no formal or clinical training in mental health service provision. Learners will be introduced to several topics to consider when planning and delivering trauma-informed on-the-land programs, including topics like colonization and trauma, camp setup, and participant aftercare. This curriculum was developed in response to an identified need in the Northwest Territories to equip on-the-land program leaders with tools to support mental and emotional wellness on the land.

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Background

In 2018, on the land leaders and mental health professionals gathered to discuss challenges in delivering land-based programming. A theme that emerged was that even as the land is vital to wellbeing, on the land programs in the NWT are led and attended by people who have experienced complex trauma and it is not uncommon for people leading on the land programs to encounter challenging situations, including people experiencing distressing emotions or mental health challenges. The group agreed that creating a made-in-NWT training program to enhance the capacity of land-based programmers to respond to these situations was critical. Supporting Wellbeing was created to address this need.

 

“I love sharing the origin story of our project because it demonstrates that this exists because community asked it to exist,” said Rachel Cluderay, Supporting Wellbeing Project Director. “It comes completely out of community need, and not us imposing this program on people.”

 

Transition

Supporting Wellbeing has grown quickly since its inception, and a flexible, four-day curriculum has been developed. Post-pilot training evaluations and interviews found that participants drew useful skills they could apply to their own programs and passed those skills on to those around them.

 

As the Supporting Wellbeing Project continued to grow, the Steering Committee made the recommendation to the NWTRPA Board of Directors that the administrative host be changed and become its own project on MakeWay’s shared platform to allow for more autonomy and agency.

 

As the program leaves the NWTRPA and transitions to its own MakeWay Project, Supporting Wellbeing also looks to expand into Nunavut and the Yukon.

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The NWTRPA would like to congratulate Supporting Wellbeing and wishes Project Director, Rachel Cluderay, great success. We will continue our relationship with Supporting Wellbeing and look forward to providing Supporting Wellbeing programming in the fall.

 

You can learn more about Supporting Wellbeing and their work on Facebook and Instagram.

 

The NWTRPA is committed to supporting community members in getting on the land. We believe that spending time on the land is vital for building and strengthening healthy minds, bodies, families, and communities. Colonial policies, including residential schools, sought to remove Indigenous peoples from their territories and break their connection with the land. On the land programs are an important part of revitalizing cultures, languages, and traditions.

 

The NWTRPA is an authorized provider of wilderness and remote first aid courses, and Paddle Canada courses. Learn more about our On the Land Program Support here.