The Alliance - Canadian Association For Suicide Prevention

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.

The Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitators Network

This network is an exciting initiative – the first of its kind in Canada – which brings together a community of people who currently provide suicide bereavement group support services so they can share knowledge, develop best practices, and support each other. Being involved with this network offers support for facilitators through the sharing of experiences and knowledge transfer and reduces the isolation experienced by individual facilitators in both rural, urban, and isolated 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 helps individual facilitators support themselves, to better support those bereaved by suicide.