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Akausisarvik offers patients a place to call home

Nunavut’s first 24-hour mental health facility a training ground for independent living

Tapisa Nattaq plans her day with Akausisarvik manager Shelley Cuthbert.

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(PHOTO BY KIRSTEN MURPHY)

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KIRSTEN MURPHY

Iqaluit’s 10-bed home for people with mental illnesses marked its official opening last Friday, signaling a new era for Nunavummiut with schizophrenia and manic depression.

Residents moved into Akausisarvik, meaning a place for wellness, just before Christmas, but Health Minister Ed Picco offered words of encouragement during a formal opening on Jan. 17.

Nunavut’s first 24-hour transitional home will focus on stress management, job skills and budgeting for people with mental illnesses. The goal is to teach residents the skills they need to live independently.

The facility is funded by the City of Iqaluit, Human Resources Development Canada and the department of health and social services. It is operated by the Pairijiit Tigumivik Society, a non-profit organization that also runs Iqaluit’s elders residence and the Tammaativvik medical boarding home.

With that experience, it seemed only natural for the society to become involved with the mental health facility, said Jim Taylor, the society’s general manager.

Safely housing mentally ill Nunavummiut — people who often fall through health and social services cracks — has long been a priority for the Government of Nunavut, Picco said.

Akausisarvik residents wash their own laundry, help with cooking and retire to their individual bedrooms at the end of the day. They help staff with shopping and learn how to write résumés. In turn, staff members ensure residents take their medication and keep doctor’s appointments. The routine is a pleasant change for clients whose past activities included watching television and wandering the streets.

"It’s good here," said Tapisa Nattaq before running out to do errands.

Before living at Akausisarvik, Nattaq, 36, lived in public housing but had difficulty living on her own. Recently, she lived with 10 family members in a small house — an arrangement, she said, "was not good."

But Nattaq gets along well with her Akausisarvik housemates, and they plan to get their own apartments within the next year.

"The [residents and staff] here are like my second family," she said.

Safety and care

The need for a staffed residential facility was identified in the 2001 Continuum of Care Plan, a report commissioned by the City of Iqaluit and the department of health and social services.

The facility was to open this past fall, however renovation delays slowed the process. The two-floor facility, once a women’s shelter and later the Pulaarvik mental health day facility, is still awaiting specialized windows, a fresh coat of paint and a new kitchen.

The Pulaarvik program continues to operate — serving Akausisarvik residents in addition to its regular clients.

Before a person can be admitted to the Akausisarvik, a clinical psychologist must conduct an assessment to determine the applicant’s eligibility. Past medical and criminal records are part of the screening process.

Someone with a criminal record would not necessarily be turned down, but Cuthbert said, she and the health department are still working out the rules regarding people with sex-related convictions.

"We don’t want to put anyone out on the street but we have to have safety rules in place," she said.

Residents have a 10 p.m. curfew, but they may stay out later if staff are notified. "We just want to know they are safe, not getting cold and not getting into trouble. There are only two rules: one is no alcohol, drugs or solvents; the other is no physical, verbal or sexual abuse," Cuthbert said.

Residents sign a contract saying they’ll follow the rules. Violators will be subject to a suspension and possible eviction.

There is no firm rule outlining how long a person can stay at Akausisarvik. The health department originally planned to set the maximum stay at one year, however, Cuthbert said asking a person to leave if they are not ready could counteract any success they have achieved while living at Akausisarvik.

"I’m leaving it open. We want them to go forward, not backward," she said.

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