WELLINGTON COUNTY – World Suicide Prevention Day is Sept. 10, which also marks the beginning of Suicide Prevention Week.
World Suicide Prevention Day was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The theme for this year is “creating hope through action,” which serves as a call to action and reminder there is an alternative to suicide.
“Suicide Prevention Day is so important to us as an organization, because we are seeing people every single day who are in crisis, who are at risk, and we want to continue to promote the awareness and to continue to promote the empathy and compassion for hope,” said Helen Fishburn, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW).
In the area of Waterloo Wellington, two services are offered through CMHA for those in crisis.
One is Here 24/7, a phone service that is available 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
The other service is through 911. If an individual calls because of a mental health or addictions crisis, a CMHA worker accompanies the police to that call through the Integrated Mobile Police And Crisis Team (IMPACT).
According to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, about 4,500 people die by suicide each year in Canada. Each suicide profoundly affects many people, and it is estimated that seven to 10 people are deeply impacted.
“I think it’s always so important to know that, no matter what, there is always someone available if you are in crisis,” said Fishburn.
“We’re trying to really create that network, and care and support system in our community so we can catch people and support them when they need it most.”
SafeTALK
In recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day, CMHA WW is holding a SafeTALK training workshop on Sept. 14. These events have historically happened about once every month with a $50 fee.
The World Suicide Prevention Day event is unfortunately already fully booked, but Katrina Burch, mental health promotion and education services team lead, said the CMHA website includes details about future events.
SafeTALK workshops are meant to prepare participants to identify and engage people who have thoughts of suicide, and to connect them with help and care. Workshops run four hours in length, and anyone aged 15 and older is able to participate.
“It really provides those individuals the skills and knowledge they need to recognize the signs of suicide, engage with someone to have that conversation, ask the clear and direct question of ‘are you having thoughts of suicide,’ and then ensure a safety connection or connection to a service provider,” Burch told the Advertiser.
“It doesn’t necessarily need to be within the formal system, but making sure that the individual who has thoughts of suicide has a safe connection by the end of your conversation, so SafeTALK is only delivered in person just because of the sensitive nature of the content.”
At all safeTALK workshops a community resource person is available, Burch added. This serves as a resource for attendees who may be upset by the content of the workshop.
Debney fundraiser
The Debney family has been holding an annual suicide prevention fundraiser the past decade in memory of Gordon Clarke Debney, who suffered silently with depression.
The fundraiser will be held on Sept. 15 from 7 to 11pm at the Cambridge Newfoundland Club.
It is a licensed event, so individuals participating must be age of majority.
The event will include a speech by Fishburn and some conversations on suicide prevention, but the family says the idea is to have fun.
There will be many raffle prizes and the grand prize is a Nintendo Switch bundle ($700 value).
Entry tickets are $20 each, including automatic entry into draw for the grand prize and door prizes. Feature prize tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Attendance is not mandatory to win the featured prizes.
For more event, prize and ticket information visit the event’s Facebook page.
For more information about CMHA WW and WSPD, visit cmhaww.ca or here4hope.ca.
If you are in crisis or need support for yourself or a loved one, call the Here 24/7 crisis line at 1-844-437-3247 (Here 247).
