Choose Life

Speech Bubbles

NAN advocated for and developed Choose Life to ensure that no First Nation community would be denied programming funding that promotes the mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being of youth.

Choose Life provides immediate funding relief for youth at risk of suicide by fast-tracking proposals for group child and youth mental health prevention programs/services.

Database of Cultural Helpers

NAN Choose Life is working to create a database of Cultural Helpers – individuals willing to share cultural or land-based knowledge to further promote wellness of participants of Choose Life programming. If you or someone you know would like to be added to our secure database, please take a moment to complete or share the Choose Life Cultural Helper Form below:

If you have any questions or need assistance completing or sharing this form, please contact NAN Choose Life Cultural Coordinator Kiaya Drake at kdrake@nan.ca

Choose Life Honorable Mentions Nomination Form

If you would like to acknowledge a Choose Life Worker in your community or organization for their contributions to Choose Life and share about the impact they have on others or to say something special about them. Please take a minute of your day to let the NAN Choose Life Team know by clicking the survey link below:

Newsletters

Reports

Choose Life Video Launch Event- April 30, 2021- Recording

Guiding Principles

• Fairness – Decisions are consistently applied, based on impartial judgment and without discrimination or favouritism.
• Transparency – The process is open, available to the public, and easily understandable to those living in NAN territory
• Timely – Decisions are made within a reasonable time period, without delay, and within the service standards of Jordan’s Principle (JP).
• Client-Centered – Each stage of the process is focused on the child, leading to an outcome that is in the best interest of the child.
• Focus – The focus of Choose Life is preventing suicide among children and youth.

Who Can Apply?

First Nation communities and organizations located within NAN territory for the benefit of children and youth 18 years and younger. The communities must identify:

• A pressing need in respect to youth at serious risk of suicide
• A gap in supports, programs, services for youth at risk of suicide
• A clear plan to provide supports that would include land-based healing and activities, prevention, and intervention programs in a holistic approach

Each Choose Life project is unique, they all bring families together, connect people to the land, their language and emphasize the importance of cultural identity.

Applicants Can Apply For:

• Community-Based Mental Health Services, such as one-on-one intervention counselling, psychological and psychiatric assessments, development of treatment plans, counsellors in school, etc.
• Capacity Building, such as training of front-line staff, community members and youth through training sessions and workshops.
• Youth Empowerment through the creation of youth councils, forums, youth-driven programming, mentoring programs, peer support programming, etc.
• Land-Based/Cultural Activities through the7 Grandfather Teachings, traditional therapeutic land-based healing and detox camps, traditional hunting, fishing, promoting traditional language, medicine preparation, canoeing, skinning and preparing wildlife, etc.