BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Choose Life Initiative
Choose Life is an initiative launched in April 2017 as a pilot program supporting youth at risk of suicide in Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities in Northern Ontario. Developed as an extension of Jordan’s Principle, it allows communities to access fast-tracked, flexible funding to implement local, culturally grounded mental wellness programs. Through an agreement between NAN and Indigenous Services Canada, Choose Life empowers First Nations to design and lead suicide prevention strategies rooted in their own traditions, values, and needs.
The Choose Life model underlines the importance of community-specific and community-driven solutions. While some children and youth were reluctant to engage at first, the program has successfully built trusting relationships, engaged previously disengaged youth, and provided safe spaces for children and youth – all key elements in promoting youth mental health.
Jordan's Principle
Jordan’s Principle was named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, a young Cree boy from Norway House Cree Nation, who died in hospital while federal and provincial governments argued over who should pay for his home care. It is a human rights principle established by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) to ensure that First Nations children do not face gaps, delays, or denials in accessing government services because of their identity as First Nations children.
However, the federal government has explicitly limited the financial implications of Jordan’s Principle to apply only to on-reserve children with multiple disabilities who require various services, thus reducing the number of Indigenous children eligible to receive services. Additionally, there is a significant backlog of applications for Jordan’s Principle, resulting in many children, including those in urgent need of mental health support, waiting long periods before receiving care. This backlog highlights the urgent need for the federal government to fully implement Jordan's Principle, ensuring that all Indigenous children, regardless of their location or needs, can access the care they deserve without delay or discrimination.