Mental Health Supports available during Papal visit

Pope Francis will be travelling to Canada from July 24 to July 29 where he will visit Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut. Throughout the papal visit, trauma-informed mental health and wellness supports continue to be available to all Nunavummiut. Mental health counselling and cultural and emotional services are available to support individuals impacted by the harms caused by the Roman Catholic Church’s role in Catholic-run residential schools.

Through Indigenous Services Canada, 40 Health and Cultural Supports will be available on-site for former Indian Residential School (IRS) Survivors and other participants during the Papal Event in Iqaluit. The health and cultural supports are from all three Nunavut regions, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Among the Health and Cultural Supports, there are six IRS mental health counsellors who have provided services to former students and their families for many years in the Northern Region. This team will be working closely with other mental health counsellors from the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.

Please see below additional lines of support that are available for Nunavummiut.

The Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week).
- Call 867-979-3333 or toll free at 1-800-265-3333.
Healing by Talking Program.
- Free telephone counselling service provided by the Government of Nunavut (GN). Visit your local Health Centre for more information or email healing@gov.nu.ca.
GN Employee/Family Assistance Program.
- Call 1-800-663-1142.
Crisis Services Canada.
- Call or text 1-833-456-4566.
- Online chat available at http://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/.
Youthspace.ca.
- Text 778-783-0177.
- Online chat available at https://youthspace.ca/.
- Email counselling is available by calling 250-478-8357 or toll free at 1-866-478-8357.
Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Kataujjiqatigiit Embrace Life Council.
- Call 1-866-804-2782.
- Email embracelife@inuusiq.com.
- Visit the website http://www.inuusiq.com/ for more information and support.
Hope for Wellness Help Line (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week).
- Support and crisis intervention available to all Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
- Call 1-855-242-3310
- Online chat available at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
National Residential School Crisis Line (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week).
- Cultural and emotional support and crisis intervention to Survivors of residential schools and their family members.
- Call 1-866-925-4419.
Kids Help Phone.
- Call 1-800-668-6868.
- Live chat available at https://kidshelpphone.ca/.
- Text ‘CONNECT’ to 686868 to message with a trained volunteer.