Mental health and suicide prevention initiatives

As World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2024, approaches, we want to highlight some of the work being done by CMHA Alberta and Centre for Suicide Prevention (CSP). Together with CMHA Regions across the province, we are building a compassionate and empathetic Alberta, an Alberta where people’s wellbeing is supported in the community where they live – by a friend, a peer, a support group, their local CMHA office or the medical system.

CMHA Alberta and CSP have several initiatives that are being supported by the Government of Alberta.

Alberta Children and Family Services, and Advanced Education support initiatives include the youth-focused initiatives Skills for Safer Living, Caregiver Connections, Family Resource Network training, Means and Media, and Healthy Campus Alberta.

Preventing and treating mental health concerns and suicidal ideation in childhood and adolescence is vital, as, untreated, these concerns can lead to future suicidal ideation and attempts, and mental health disorders. Research has shown that early intervention and prevention is effective in reducing suicide rates (Kutcher & Szumilas, 2008).

• Skills for Safer Living is a four-week group program for youth ages 12-24 who have suicide ideation and their caregivers.
• Caregiver Connections offers peer groups to provide support to caregivers, including parents, supporting loved ones with mental health concerns.
• CMHA Alberta and CSP provide suicide prevention training to Family Resource Networks, agencies that deliver prevention and early intervention services and supports for children and youth up to the age of 18 and their caregivers.
• CSP’s Means and Media project is an initiative educating people about suicide means safety and safe messaging about suicide.
• Healthy Campus Alberta educates, collaborates, and advocates to create caring post-secondary campus communities.

Alberta Mental Health and Addiction supports Recovery College, Rural Mental Health Project, OSI-CAN, and Buddy Up. All of these initiatives help build mentally healthy communities where Albertans can live and thrive.  

• Recovery Colleges in Alberta offer a range and variety of free recovery and mental health-focused courses designed for individuals, families, the workplace, and cultural and spiritual communities.
• Rural Mental Health Project strengthens community capacity for better mental health in rural and remote communities through ongoing training, network collaboration, and funding.
• OSI-CAN is a free, confidential, community-based peer support initiative for Veterans, first responders, and public safety personnel.
• Buddy Up is a suicide prevention campaign focused on preventing suicide in middle-aged men, who die by suicide more than anyone else. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

We’re grateful to the Alberta Children and Family Services, Mental Health and Addiction, and Advanced Education ministries for their support.

References

Kutcher, S. and Szumilas, M. (2008). Youth suicide prevention. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 178(3), 2. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.071315