World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was first launched in 2003 on the 10th of September by the International Association for Suicide Prevention with the endorsement of the World Health Organization (WHO). The 10th of September each year has been designated as a way of focusing attention on the problems of suicide worldwide. Our free event will be held on September 9th this year.
CASP’s 2023 WSPD Event
Crisis Lines and Launching 988: Creating Hope Through Action
Saturday, September 9, 2023
1:00-2:00 PM EDT, Live via Zoom (online)
10:00 am PDT / 11:00 am MDT / 12:00 pm CDT / 1:00 pm EDT / 2:00 pm ADT / 2:30 pm NDT
This event is live and will not be recorded.
First established in the early 1950’s to provide anonymous, confidential crisis support for people with thoughts of suicide, crisis lines have played a significant role in preventing suicide in Canada and around the world.
With the upcoming launch of Canada’s three-digit 988 crisis service scheduled for November 30th, this year’s WSPD event will explore the vital role of crisis lines and feature unique speaker perspectives sharing on the theme, “What can we expect from 988?”
Dr. Allison Crawford from the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health and several other panelists, will offer their insights as Canada prepares for the launch of this life-saving service.
What can we expect from 988?
- Dr. Allison Crawford is the Chief Medical Officer for Talk Suicide Canada and 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline, the national suicide prevention service launching November 30, 2023. Allison is a psychiatrist and researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, where she is also Medical Director of Virtual Mental Health and Psychiatry Outreach, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Allison has worked as a psychiatrist in Nunavut for over 15 years, and coordinates psychiatry services for the Government of Nunavut. She has consulted to Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy; and with the Inuit Circumpolar Council and the Sustainable Development Working Group of the Arctic Council on circumpolar wellness and suicide prevention initiatives. See www.ProjectCREATeS.com.
- Mark Bentham has been a staff Crisis Line Responder with the Vancouver Island Crisis Society for more than five years. He is a model Crisis Line Responder and is skilled in creating rapport, defining and assessing problems and completing thorough suicide risk assessments with a focus on de-escalation and support. Mark has mentored new crisis line responders and is a Recipient of the Jason Chare Crisis Line Responder Excellence Award.
- Robyn Romano is the CEO of Distress Centre Calgary (DCC). Robyn is a passionate and committed leader with a strong drive and desire to do what she can to strengthen community, empower others, create connections, and find innovative solutions to complex social issues. She holds a Master of Social Work with a specialization of Leadership in Human Services from the University of Calgary. From her start as a practicum student to her current role, Robyn has led to the growth and enhancement of DCC crisis services including: developing Distress Centre’s Leadership Volunteer program, the expansion of online crisis services to offer 24/7 chat and text support, successfully accreditation with the American Association of Suicidology, and developing partnerships across community and law enforcement on diversion initiatives which include having DCC Crisis and Navigation responders co-located in the 911 operations centre. Robyn helped lead the Distress Centre’s involvement in the 2017 launch of the national suicide line and DCC has been an active participant in the development of the national line and upcoming launch of 988.
What do you hope for and expect from 988?
- Two Persons with Lived/Living Experience
- William (Bill) Pringle has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Saskatoon Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association for 25 years. He has also served on CMHA’s National Board of Directors and with the Saskatchewan Division. Bill is a Past-Chair of the National Council of Persons with Lived Experiences. He is now a community advisor for Canada’s 9-8-8 suicide prevention initiative. In another lifetime, Bill was a Manager with the City of Calgary’s Public Relations Division.
- Al Raimundo is the Tech Implementation Coordinator bringing the Foundry BC Platform to communities across BC. Co-designed with young people and families, it creates the ability for young people and caregivers in British Columbia to book their own appointments, tell their stories only once, and asynchronously message their service providers. Prior to that, they worked for 10 years co-designing awesome mental health apps, programs, and policies. Al is a thought leader for their work, with over 1,000 speeches worldwide wild including the United Nations World Youth Day, Tedx, and Canada’s Senate and Federal Government. They have also been quoted in Vanity Fair, Buzzfeed, Teen Vogue, the Toronto Star, MacLean’s, The Globe and Mail, National Post, The Times India and newspapers all over the world (including Argentina, Brazil, Japan, France, and Ireland). When they are not working, you can catch them gaming, exploring, eating and making memes on social media. Al lives, works and plays from the stolen and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh).
Registration is closed.
Light a Flame of Hope on September 10, 2023 at 8:00pm. Share the Light.
French language images can be found on our French website.
