Beyond the Mine: Roanne Dawe – Mental Health Counsellor

Mental Health Counsellor may be at the top of the list of untraditional mining jobs. Baffinland is proud to be the first mine in Canada to offer mental health services at site, 24/7.

Roanne Dawe says she never thought working at a mine was even a possibility. But after 23 years as a Social Worker with the Newfoundland government, she was ready for a change. Roanne was introduced to the opportunity at Baffinland by a friend, who knew the difference that mental health services could make, on site.

Roanne applauds Baffinland for taking what she calls a huge step. “Rotation work can be challenging. It’s tough to be away from home. Baffinland saw the need, and made the commitment.”

She also points out that in male-dominated industries like mining, men can often feel pressured to put on a tough front and not show emotions. “But we’re all human, so that’s not realistic,” she says. “It’s really rewarding to see the barriers coming down and to see men, and everyone, seeking services and asking for help. Mental health is just as important as physical health.”

Roanne says at first, people were hesitant, because it was a new service. “As we started getting to know folks, they started accessing services. Word of mouth really helps.” She also appreciates living and working at site, with her clients. “I get to see people improve. They tell us how good it is, to have the support on site.”

Roanne’s story is part of our new social media campaign, “Beyond the Mine,’ which puts the spotlight on the diverse range of non-traditional mining jobs that support our operations, as well as the people who do them, and the career paths that have brought them here. If you’re interested in working with us, visit our website for current job listings: https://careers.baffinland.com/

ᕈᐋᓐ ᑖ − ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᕆᔨ

ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᕆᔨ ᖁᕝᕙᓯᓛᖓᓃᖅᑰᖅᑐᖅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᐅᒐᔪᙱᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᓂᑦ. ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐅᔭᖃᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ, 24/7.

ᕈᐋᓐ ᑖ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᓐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓗᓂ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᔪᕐᓇᙱᒻᒪᖔᑦ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ 23 ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓂᐅᕙᓐᓛᓐ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓂ, ᐱᕙᒌᔭᖅᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᕈᐋᓐ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᕕᒃᓴᖅᑕᖃᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᓐᓂ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᖓᑕ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᓯᔾᔩᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐅᑏᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᓯᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ.

ᕈᐋᓐ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᒃᑐᖅ ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᓂᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᒻᒧᐊᒍᑎᕐᔪᐊᒥᒃ. “ᑭᖑᕝᕕᖅᑎᒌᖕᓂᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᔪᒃᓇᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ. ᐊᒃᓱᕐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕐᒥᒃ ᕿᒪᐃᓯᒪᓗᓂ. ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᐱᑕᖃᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᐊᖏᓯᒪᓕᖅᓗᑎᒡᓗ.” ᓇᓗᓇᐃᕆᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐊᖑᑎᑕᖃᐅᕐᓂᖅᓴᑦ ᓴᓇᕝᕖᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ, ᐊᖑᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕈᑎᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᓴᙱᓇᓱᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᖏᓪᓗᑎ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ. “ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐅᐱᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᓂ ᑐᓗᕈᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐲᔭᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᖑᓂᑎᒃ, ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᓂᒃ, ᕿᓂᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐃᓱᒪᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᙱᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᑎᒋᔪᖅ ᓲᕐᓗ ᑎᒥᐅᑉ ᖃᓄᐃᙱᑦᑎᐊᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᑐᑦ.”

ᕈᐋᓐ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖁᓱᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᓄᑖᖑᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕈᑎ. “ᐱᒋᐊᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᖃᐅᔨᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, ᐅᐸᒍᑎᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐅᑎᒧᑦ. ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᑦᑎᐊᕙᒃ.” ᖁᔭᓕᔾᔪᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓗᓂᓪᓗ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ, ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ. “ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖓ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒃ. ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᒍᑦ ᐱᐅᓪᓚᕆᖕᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ  ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ.”

ᕈᐋᓐ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓄᑖᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᓄᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᕌᒐᕆᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ,  ‘ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ’. ᓴᖅᑎᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᕈᓘᔭᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᐅᒐᔪᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᔪᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕙᒃᑕᖏᓐᓂᓪᓗᑦᑕᐅᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᒫᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖑᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᖅᑯᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᑎᑭᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᕝᕗᙵ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᒋᔪᒥᒋᒍᑦᑎᒍᑦ, ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᕗᑦ ᑕᑯᒋᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᑦ ᑎᑎᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ https://careers.baffinland.com/.