The Canadian Mental Health Association in Newfoundland and Labrador says the uptake on its mental health and suicide prevention training program illustrates how pressing the issue has become.
CEO Dr. Chandra Kavanagh says people have been demanding the kind of training provided with their partners, Lifewise NL and Richard’s Legacy Foundation for Survivors of Suicide Loss.
Some 630 people previously attended the 62 training courses offered to-date.
The provincial government this week reiterated the half a million dollars provided to keep the training program going.
Kavanagh says the program has already proven beneficial, and demand is high. She says the Community Lifelines initiative will provide suicide intervention and prevention as well as mental health first aid to over 2,000 people.
She says suicide contagion after a loss in the community is real, and can have a devastating impact.
“We often will see further attempts…or even further suicides as the result of that initial suicide,” says Kavanagh who quotes Tina Davies of Richard’s Legacy—”postvention is prevention.”