We recognize sharing your story is challenging. Stigma is the result of negative and prejudicial attitudes and behaviours that people express to those living with a mental health problem or a mental illness. Stigma is damaging. It can make people feel shameful, different, socially excluded and creates barriers to recovery. That is why we created spaces to develop your story with others who have lived experiences.
Learning Circles are groups of 8 to 12 individuals who meet regularly over a period of weeks or months to address a critical public issue in a democratic, collaborative way. Participants examine suicide prevention from many points of view and identify areas of common ground. They create recommendations for community action.
Community members will develop plans that build on local programs and expertise to ensure the project meets their community needs. This ensures that the projects are grounded in the knowledge and experience of local leaders.
Specialized supports: which includes a range of possible prevention, crisis and postvention services such as, peer support, support groups (including self-help), workplace interventions, and coordinated planning and access.
Training and Networks: that better equip both health workers (physicians, nurse practitioners, etc.) and community gatekeepers (first responders, Human Resources staff and managers, teachers, etc.) by providing access to training and ongoing learning opportunities.
Public awareness campaigns: locally driven campaigns (posters, brochures, social media, etc.) and collaboration with the media.
Means restriction: support communities to identify “hot spots” (the methods or places where a high number of suicides occur) and to implement measures to restrict access to these methods of suicide (e.g., building barriers on bridges or at railway crossings, protocols for medication access).
Research: to increase the suicide prevention evidence base that we could draw on. This includes setting research priorities, conducting surveillance and monitoring, as well as evaluating the project itself.