PIKISKWETAN
(Mental Health)
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted individuals and communities on multiple levels. It is normal to feel stress and anxiety during these uncertain times.
The Pikiskwetan Program is a free virtual & In-person mental health program designed to help adults and youth 16+ that may be struggling with managing low mood levels, anxiety, stress, or any life issues you may be going through.
Our Mental Health Navigators offer a non-judgemental space for individuals to express what they are currently experiencing, culturally based peer-supports, and will assist getting you connected to the most suitable resources within our community.
You are not alone!
If you are dealing with mental health or addictions issues, looking for assistance with connecting to cultural supports or in overcoming barriers, please select 'Register' at the bottom of this page to fill out and submit the short questionnaire. From there, one of our Mental Health Navigators will be contacting you within 24 hours.
We also provide mental health presentations to: partner agencies, business, industry and community groups.
In light of the continued discoveries at former Residential Schools our community has been significantly impacted. Please join us as part of our Traditional Healing Garden Project. Survivors and community can come together to listen and heal with time spent creating our faceless dolls to honour the children found.
Limited Space Available. Please email pikiskwetan@gmail.com to register.
For More information contact the Pikiskwetan Program Co-ordinator Abby Bourque:
Now, we need to ask a few questions before we can begin.
*Please note: calls from Mental Health Navigators will appear as No Caller ID
**Please note: Be aware that your information will be used to register you for a membership in order to use our services. Membership is FREE. You will receive information about the programs available to you through the Friendship Center.
Just think, you have made it this far already, and that's half the battle...you are amazing!
Now, here's what happens next:
A Mental Health Navigator will be contacting you within the next 24 hours to make sure that you are doing okay. In that conversation, a meeting with a Mental Health Navigator will be made if you wish to continue supports through your journey with mental health.
Again, you are an AMAZING person for reaching out, never forget that!
While you wait for one of our mental Health Navigators to reach out, here are some online resources that can help you and you can contact:
If you are thinking about suicide (or are worried about a loved one)
Any time of the day or night, you can dial 1-833-456-4566 (available in English or French) to reach the Canada Suicide Prevention Service, run by Crisis Services Canada, a national network of non-profit distress and crisis service centres. From 4p.m. to midnight ET, you can also text "Start" to 46545 for support (currently only available in English), but do note, their website warns that online and texting services are slower at the moment, so they are encouraging calls instead.
If you're a young person in any type of crisis
Kids Help Phone has been picking up calls from youth in distress 24/7 and providing counselling. You can still phone 1-800-668-6868 for support, but if you don't have the privacy to talk out loud, there's a text-based program too: the Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone, which is also free and available acreoss Canada around the click. To connect with a volunteer crisis responder, text "HOME" (or "PARLER" for help in french) to 686868.
If you're an Indigenous person in distress
Funded by the Government of Canada and geared toward Indigenous people nationwide, the Hope for Wellness Help Line provides immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention. You can call 1-855-242-3310, available 24/7, to talk in English or French, as well as Cree, Ojibway or Inuktitut upon request. Or you can use the chat box on the website (English and French only).
