September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day

• One in every 100 deaths worldwide is the result of suicide.
• In Canada, approximately 4,000 people die by suicide every year.
• Up to 90% of people who die by suicide are believed to experience substance use and/or mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety—whether diagnosed or not—at the time of their suicide.

World Suicide Prevention Day gives us an opportunity to talk about suicide, raise awareness, and to promote action through evidence-based practices that will reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts for people around the world.

At Connections Place we are committed to providing people with the opportunity to build connection through meaningful relationships and engage in work-related programming that helps set the stage for reintegration into society.

We know that being part of a safe community of peers, and the opportunity to experience purpose in one’s life, significantly increases a person’s sense of wellbeing and the likelihood of a successful recovery.

These evidence-based practices are proven to reduce negative outcomes such as hospitalization, incarceration, as well as suicide and suicidality.

Recently, we launched a new collaborative outreach team, COST (Concurrent Outreach Support Team), to make an impact where it matters most.

COST focuses on connecting with people experiencing concurrent disorders (mental health and substance use) primarily upon their discharge from hospital psychiatric emergency services.

Discharge planning and follow-up was identified as a critical service gap needing greater support to help people find stability as they navigate their way back into the community and mitigate the potential of experiencing suicidality.

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and pushes into the fall, it is more important than ever to ‘disrupt isolation by staying connected’ and, by doing so, reduce the potential for people to experience suicidal thinking and suicide.

Many believe that maintaining and enhancing the mental health of the public throughout the pandemic is just as important as reducing the spread of the virus.

On September 10th, 2021 join us in raising suicide awareness and support of mental health. This year, you can light a candle and place it in your window at 8pm to show your support.

You can also support suicide prevention and mental health by becoming one of our monthly donors (help us reach 50 monthly donors!) or by making a single donation today!

Chris Forester
Executive Director

Need help now?

• Need2:
  • 24-hour Vancouver Island crisis line: 1-888-494-3888
  • province-wide BC line: 1-800-SUICIDE
• Canada Suicide Prevention Service:
  • 24-hour line:1-833-456-4566

Learn more:

• https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/services-and-resources/guided-search
• https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/what-we-do/suicide-prevention
• https://www.suicideinfo.ca
• https://www.iasp.info/wspd2021/resources