press release

Announcing the Launch of our Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitators Network


Introduction

The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) envisions a Canada without suicide. Since 1985, CASP has worked towards the achievement of its mission by advocating, communicating, and educating for suicide prevention, intervention, postvention and life promotion in Canada.

Creation of Suicide Bereavement & Postvention Alliance

In 2020, on World Suicide Prevention Day, CASP announced the launch of our Suicide Bereavement & Postvention Alliance. The mission of the Alliance is to foster communities, resource sharing and support initiatives related to suicide bereavement and postvention in Canada.

With funding support from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, initial activities planned for the first phases of implementation of the Alliance among others, included hosting a launch event to brainstorm and develop a Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitators Network.

Details on the Network

The Network is an exciting new initiative – the first of its kind in Canada – which aims to bring together a community of people who provide suicide bereavement group support services in order to share knowledge, develop best practices, and support each other. Being involved with this network will not only offer support for facilitators through the sharing of experiences and knowledge transfer, but also help reduce the isolation experienced by individual facilitators in both rural and urban regions
across Canada.

Each year, approximately 4,000 Canadians die by suicide, leaving tens of thousands of loved ones and community members being deeply affected by the loss. Those who provide bereavement support play a significant role in lessening the profound impact of suicide loss; however, we recognize that facilitators require support, too. By coming together, the Network will help individual facilitators support themselves, to better support those bereaved by suicide.

The official launch of the Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitators Network took place on the afternoon of May 3, 2021. It consisted of a presentation by Bernadette Copeland and a group discussion to help identify key priorities for the network.

All facilitators of suicide bereavement support groups were welcome to attend. For more information, please contact us.