Treatment centre in Nunavik, Que. aims to 'decolonize' treatment and welcome families in newly built centre

It had been a long time coming for George Kauki and his colleagues when they finally packed up their belongings and moved into their offices in the newly built Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre this month.

Located in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, it's the largest addiction treatment and recovery centre in the region.

But having welcomed people with addiction and trauma for over 25 years using a blend of modern practices and Inuit values — it's getting a major upgrade.

Staff moved out of the old building, a 70-year-old facility, after years of construction and planning, said Kauki.

Kauki, who visited the new centre in the early stages of construction, said moving in this month made him feel "lighter."

"It's really uplifting honestly," said Kauki, who has worked at the centre for seven years.

"It's so rewarding to see all the hard work you've put in over the years … to see how much more comfort the people will [have] and the people that we are aiming at helping."

His favourite area is the kitchen and "the wonderful view it has … It's amazing. I mean the wonderful people that are now working here, just bring the vibes… that just gives you a smile in the face every morning when you walk in."

Apart from that modern kitchen, the centre has a 22-bed capacity and is a facility centred around Inuit culture.

Kauki says staff will be better able to serve the community and meet the needs and suggestions former participants have outlined — even tripling the guest capacity.

Family involvement in healing

The new facility will also have more staff to welcome those extra guests: a maximum of five families and about 20 individuals, said Kauki.

He notes that counsellors will share office space so they can better communicate with each other about the needs of participants. While individuals will also share a room with a sitting area and amenities like a fridge and microwave, Kauki says families will get private spaces.

"This is the first of its kind so we're going to be in a learning process as well," said Kauki.

The centre will also offer child care for young children as well as youth counselling and a tutoring service for school-age children. 

The idea, Kauki said, came from talking with former patients.

"A lot of people that we consulted with said 'I'd love for my family to be involved in this healing,'" he said.

He recalls one woman who wanted her husband to have the same care as she was getting.

"They both needed the counselling. They both needed the therapy, just to maintain their family. It's when partners are helped together I'm sure it's so much better for the family, for the children. It's for the betterment of Nunavik."

The first clients will be welcomed to the centre on April 5, says Kauki — before the grand opening in September. It will be a pilot cycle, allowing them to closely monitor the weaknesses and successes to adjust for the next group.

'Decolonizing' treatment

The centre was first established to help the region with substance abuse, said Kauki. It now offers healing programs to deal with trauma and the specific needs of families, youth and pregnant women.

"There's a need for counselling in our region, [a] need for help," said Kauki, adding that the focus is on recovery.

Etua Snowball, the newly appointed executive director of the centre, says offering "culturally oriented" care is a central part of their mandate.

"I think it's very much needed so we can decolonize ourselves as well. And this is something that our people need to focus on," said Snowball. "I'm hoping that culturally oriented concepts will make it that much [more] attractive to families to come here."

He says the building overlooking the snowy Koksoak River is "based around our culture."

"This is something that I think is needed … A lot of that has been lost in some cases. Getting back into our ways of life in a modern way, looking to our future in modern ways to make sure we have a good path for our children and for our future," said Snowball, adding that some of their outdoor culture programs are a great example of that.

Land as therapy

Kauki knows the healing power of the land well.

In his role as the land co-ordinator specialist, he organizes outdoor excursions with participants. The next cycle of clients will have access to a cabin the recovery centre acquired away from town.

It should serve "to give everybody the infinite amount of space that they need, whether it be just to chill to take a breath of fresh air without trucks driving by, without noise," said Kauki.

He says for Indigenous people "the land has great healing powers."

"I could say the land was often my therapy when I needed help," Kauki said.

"With the noise of nature, the water, the wind, the tundra. It's just beautiful out there, so I'm happy where we're heading. We're heading in the right direction to recovery for Nunavik."