Little cub: Preventing suicide in Aboriginal children

It is recognized that in some Aboriginal communities there is a growing incidence of suicidal behaviour among children aged 12 or younger. The Little Cub workshop addresses this issue by providing suicide prevention training... [ view full abstract ]

It is recognized that in some Aboriginal communities there is a growing incidence of suicidal behaviour among children aged 12 or younger. The Little Cub workshop addresses this issue by providing suicide prevention training for caregivers and professionals working with Aboriginal children in this age group.
This condensed session of the Little Cub suicide prevention workshop will be an overview of the full program. Areas that will be addressed are: Aboriginal historical experiences ( including the effects of intergenerational trauma, the impact of residential schools and the “sixties scoop”); a child’s understanding of death and ways to communicate with children about suicide; identifying protective and risk factors of Aboriginal children and understanding their relationship to the medicine wheel (an Aboriginal holistic view of the world which interprets the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of living and the world as interrelated). Further, identifying warning signs and creating a safety plan using culturally relevant approaches for those working with Aboriginal children at-risk of suicide will be demonstrated.
The participatory/active learning component will consist of a description of one child’s story and the corresponding protective and risk factors. Participants in the session will be invited to create a safety plan for the child.
At the end of the session, participants will be able to identify the unique protective and risk factors that Aboriginal children experience in relation to suicide and suicide-related behaviours. They will also be able to create a safety plan for these children.