National Collaborative on Suicide Prevention launched in Canada

In time with the September 10th World Suicide Prevention Day, a National Collaborative on Suicide Prevention has been launched in Canada.

The aim is to bring more knowledge, policy development, and awareness to suicide across the country.

The program is a joint effort by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.

CASP President Dammy Danstrom-Albach states that suicide crosses a whole pile of jurisdictions and domains, and until now there hasn’t been a national framework that connects people.

In the LGBT communities where suicide rates are high, a lack of research is challenging health care providers and making it difficult to effect policy changes.

In the Inuit community where suicide rates are 11 times higher than the national average, the National Inuit Organization has seen a 40 percent cut in the health budget.

In 2011, over $245 million dollars were spent to help support mental health and addictions programming in First Nations and Inuit communities.

According to Rabble.ca, the 2012 budget cut funding by $160 million.