Hello Friends,Every day we scan news headlines and social media for items of interest to the field of suicide prevention. Here’s what we found last week: 

Featured: 

Canadian Men’s Health Week
June 6 – 13 is Canadian Men’s Health Week! Stay tuned to our blog and Twitter feed for two new resources including: 
Men and Suicide infographic
Editorial: Mental illness and hockey
Canadian Men’s Health Week is an initiative of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation.

Nunavut MLAs approve $4.5M for 1-year suicide prevention action planCBC
June 9, 2016
Resiliency Within, the one-year action plan created by the Nunavut government, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc, the RCMP and the Embrace Life Council, has been given $4.5M worth of funding for implementation. 

Work with Inuit on suicide; don’t prescribe solutions, ITK urges fedsCBC
June 9, 2016
Natan Obed, CEO of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, an organization that represents the Inuit people of Canada, is frustrated with the direction of discussions regarding suicide prevention in Inuit communities thusfar. He believes that there is no easy solution to the problem of suicide in Indigenous communities, and that a cooperative approach is needed. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is releasing its own national Inuit suicide prevention strategy on July 27.

Talking about suicide without proper supports can be dangerous, experts sayCBC
June 9, 2016
In light of recent open discussions about suicide surrounding the deaths of students in Woodstock, Ontario, psychologists are encouraging people to be cautious and to ensure that those who are at-risk of suicide are able to easily access follow-up supports.

Surrey program tackles ‘huge gaps’ in support for Syrian refugee mental healthCBC
June 8, 2016
The Diversecity Community Resources Society in Surrey, BC, has developed a trauma-informed program to help Syrian refugees  dealing with mental health issues. The program is offered in a casual setting so as to make attendees comfortable, as often times dealing with mental health issues in their home-country is associated with severe psychiatric illness, and forced hospitalization.

The focus now needs to be on help and prevention, one expert saysLondon Free Press
June 8, 2016
Renee Ouimet, president of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, responded to the recent suicide deaths of five youth from Woodstock, Ontario. Ouimet says that this is not an epidemic, and dislikes the language. “An epidemic is something that is catching. It sounds like you are going to catch it.” Ouimet is encouraging the people of Woodstock to come together to create a solution that will work for their community.

As suicide rates rise, scientists find new warning signsWall Street Journal
June 7, 2016
The National Institute of Mental Health in the United States has begun a new study that utilizes brain scans, blood samples, and other biological tests to identify markers in an individual’s biology that may help predict imminent suicide risk. 

Woodstock, Ont., high school students hold walkout following teen suicidesCBC
June 7, 2016
This past Wednesday, students from a high school in Woodstock, Ontario, a community that recently experienced a rash of suicides, walked out of class to raise awareness for the situation. The Mayor of Woodstock, Trevor Birch, spoke at the demonstration, saying “You can speak to your peers and you can find a caring mentor… you will be better off.”

Woodstock youth suicides have community seeking answersCBC
June 6, 2016
Woodstock, Ontario has experienced five youth suicide deaths within 2016 alone. There have been at least 36 suicide attempts in addition to the deaths, and CMHA Oxford County is calling the situation a “crisis." 

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