The Mental Wellness and Healing division provides a continuum of services that target individuals, families, groups and communities with mental health/mental illness-related issues and substance use, gambling and smoking issues or those who have been identified as at-risk or vulnerable to developing these issues. Individuals can access the services by self-referral or by a third-party referral.

The program components area:

1. promotion, prevention, education and community supportive services;
2. intervention (counseling) services and c. specialized services. The program’s responsibilities have expanded to include Youth Services, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) program, Inuit Child First Initiative, Justice Services and other special projects that have term funding (examples: Sexual Violence Program, Harm Reduction Specialist Services.

Mental Health & Addictions Services

For more information regarding mental health and addictions programs, please contact Mental Health & Addictions Manager, Vyann Andersen at 709-896-0692 or vyann.andersen@nunatsiavut.com.

Mental Health & Addictions Program

Mental Health and Addictions workers are located in each community and offer a wide range of services that target individuals, families, groups and communities with mental health/mental illness-related issues and substance use, gambling and smoking issues or those who have been identified as at-risk or vulnerable to developing these issues. Services include health promotion education, facilitation of supportive groups and spaces, land-based programming, as well as individual and group supportive counselling services.

FASD Coordinator Services

Coordinates referrals for FASD assessments and services as well as regional programming and awareness around Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Information on FASD and full day FASD presentation is available upon request.

For more information on mental health specialist services, please contact Director of Mental Wellness & Healing, Jessica Lyall at 709-896-9750 ext. 228 or jessica.lyall@nunatsiavut.com

Harm Reduction Specialist Services

Provide a range of Harm Reduction services across the region addressing problematic substance use and other harmful behaviors. This role will engage community members, partners and regional staff in the development of health promotion messaging, programming and individual and group interventions that focus on reducing the harms related to substance use and other problematic behaviors.

Develop and deliver regional trainings to increase the capacity and understanding of the need and context of service delivery. This role is also responsible to provide individual clinical services and interventions as well as collaboration with internal and external partners.

For more information on Harm Reduction Specialist Services, please contact the Harm Reduction Specialist, Kristin Eddy at 709-896-5719 or kristin.eddy@nunatsiavut.com

Child & Youth Mental Health Clinical Services

A team of professionals that lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of interventions centered on strengthening child and family mental wellness. This team provides clinical mental health services to children/youth in individual, family, and/or group contexts. Liaisons and collaborates with pertinent specialists and knowledge holders to incorporate best and promising clinical practices with cultural and community wisdom. Collaborates with and support community and regional service providers in delivering programs and services for children and youth mental health.

For more information on Child & Youth Mental Health Clinical Services, please contact the Child & Youth Mental Health Clinical Lead, Grant Gear at 709-896-0709 or grant.gear@nunatsiavut.com

Trauma & Addictions Mobile Treatment Team

The trauma & addictions team is responsible for the development and delivery of community clinical trauma and addiction programs within Nunatsiavut communities and Upper Lake Melville. The development of programming is done in a manner where each community is consulted and programs are tailored to the needs in real time.

For more information on Trauma and addictions programs, please contact the Director of Mental Wellness & Healing, Jessica Lyall at 709-896-9750 ext. 228 or jessica.lyall@nunatsiavut.com

Residential School Survivor Support Coordinator provides support to Inuit Survivors of the Labrador Residential Schools and their families, in accordance with the recommendations provided by Survivors.

Justice Services

The Nunatsiavut Government DHSD Justice Services provides culturally grounded supports across the justice system for Inuit, offering prevention, counselling, victim support, prison liaison services, and reintegration assistance. Its purpose is to help reduce the high rates of crime, violence, incarceration, and recidivism among Inuit by promoting healing, safety, and wellness through culturally informed approaches.

Sexual Violence Prevention & Outreach Counsellor
The Sexual Violence Prevention and Outreach Counsellor (SVPOC) provides counselling services to individuals with sexual-related offenses, either self-referred or through probation, parole or classification officers. The SVPOC delivers and develops programming and training for community, staff, and partners (ie. strategies for working with individuals with sexual offenses; prevention work to involve healthy relationship education, programs to address anger and violence, etc.)

Inuit Prison Liaison
The Inuit Prison Liaison (IPL) provides culturally grounded support to Inuit incarcerated in provincial and federal correctional facilities. This role strengthens connections between Inuit inmates, their families, home communities, and service providers, ensuring their cultural, emotional, and practical needs are recognized and supported throughout their time in custody.

The IPL offers a range of services such as one‑on‑one supportive counseling and access to culturally relevant programs. They help coordinate wellness‑focused initiatives, advocate for residents’ needs within the correctional system, and assist with court‑related updates and communication. The IPL ensures culturally informed, holistic support that prioritizes public safety while promoting healing and wellness for Inuit in custody.

Community Victim Support Worker
The Community Victim Support Worker provides culturally safe, trauma‑informed support to Inuit victims of crime and violence. They offer emotional care, help people understand their rights and the justice system, assist with safety planning, and connect individuals and families to needed services. The role also supports healing through culturally relevant approaches such as land‑based activities and guidance from Elders, while working closely with community partners to promote safety, wellness, and awareness.

Reintegration and Support Case Manager
The Reintegration and Support Case Manager (RSCM) helps individuals transition from correctional settings back into their communities by providing culturally grounded, holistic support. The RSCM works directly with clients to build reintegration plans, access essential services, and navigate legal requirements.

Some of the main services that the RSCM provides are helping individuals exiting corrections to apply for housing, financial services, counselling, and other mental health services, maintain compliance with any court-orders or probation or parole orders, attend required appointments with other justice-related service providers, connect clients with cultural programming, land-based healing, community groups, and Inuit-focused supports, work closely with other justice-related service providers, seek to include diversionary processes where appropriate, and maintain partnerships across communities and participating in regional travel to support clients where needed.

This role strengthens community safety and wellness by ensuring Inuit who are justice‑involved receive respectful, culturally responsive, and comprehensive support throughout their reintegration journey.

For more information on justice services, please contact the Regional Justice Services Manager, Erin Broomfield at 709-896-4166 or erin.broomfield@nunatsiavut.com

Youth Services

For more information on youth services, please contact Youth Services Manager Ocean Wyatt at 709-922-2126 ext. 241 or ocean.wyatt@nunatsiavut.com

Community Shed Programming
The Community Shed programming is meant to prepare, enable, and empower community members through engaging them in hands-on learning opportunities for employment-pertinent skills of carpentry and small engine mechanics, promoting education, skill building and confidence building opportunities within community.

Nain Youth Center
Is meant to provide a safe and secure environment for youth ages 13-30, should they require this support. This program strives to foster healthy relationships and positive connections in the community, with each other and with youth services staff.  The building of life skills is also a priority of the youth center.

Youth Outreach
Youth outreach workers are located in Nain and Hopedale and provide outreach services to children and youth who may be at risk for or who are engaging in risky behaviour. Youth outreach workers are a part of a multidisciplinary team, providing frontline services to youth in both individual and group settings.  The goal is to assist in meeting the basic needs of youth, which includes connecting them to services that provide food, shelter, social connections, etc.

Youth Administrator
The Youth Administrator supports youth engagement and development initiatives such as community, regional and national youth events, programs, trainings, educational, and employment opportunities, and cultural and traditional knowledge-and-skill-building.