Facing a rate of suicide higher than the provincial average, the County of Wellington has partnered with Canadian Mental Health Association and the Ontario Provincial Police to develop a suicide prevention strategy.
On Thursday, Wellington County Council adopted a resolution to partner with CMHA and the OPP for the the “Here4Hope” Wellington Framework for Promoting Life and Preventing Suicide. The county is putting $295,000 over three years into the strategy.
The strategy is a continuation of the Here4Hope event held in Fergus on Nov. 22, said Helen Fishburn, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW).
That event, which featured TSN personalities Michael Landsberg and Jennifer Hedger, was held in response to a dramatic number of suicides recently recorded in the community. CMHA stats show the rate of suicide in the county is 2.5 times higher than the provincial average.
“That night we had a massive outpouring of emotion and support, so we made a commitment that we would take that Here4Hope torch and keep running with it, because that’s what our community needs,” said Fishburn by phone on Thursday.
The framework was developed by Cecilia Marie Roberts, Suicide Prevention Lead at CMHA WW. Roberts had been retained as a consultant by CMHA CC, but her position will now be funded throughout the three-year strategy.
“The work has gone so well and we have moved so many things forward, that we want to keep this momentum going, so we now have her in place for the next three years,” said Fishburn.
The strategy will include a suicide ‘postvention’ plan, said Fishburn.
“Research shows when someone dies by suicide, there are 10 people who are closest to that person who are also at risk of suicide in the six months to a year following that death,” said Fishburn. “As part of this new funding, we will be creating a new team of people to work with people who are bereaved by suicide, because they are also at high risk.”
The goal of the strategy is to provide a road map for for implementing a whole community approach to suicide prevention and awareness. It includes a wellness strategy for the 850 Wellington County employees.
The strategy also includes mental health supports for first responders, said Fishburn.
Many people in the community have been directly or indirectly affected by suicide, said Scott Wilson, CAO of the County of Wellington, in a news release sent Thursday.
“This strategy will not only equip our staff with the tools, support and resources to help themselves and their loved ones, but over 850 County employees will be able to assist others who may be struggling in the community,” said Wilson.
“This partnership between the County of Wellington, OPP and CMHA WW is the first of its kind,” said Warden Kelly Linton in the release. It has become increasingly clear that mental health is fundamentally interconnected with physical and social well-being and health outcomes.”
The strategy will work hand-in-hand with a Community Safety and Policing Grant recently submitted by the Wellington County OPP. The $180,000 grant will allow the local OPP detachment to implement the Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team (IMPACT) – Suicide Prevention/Postvention Support Program.
“This strategy and Community Safety and Policing Grant will also be closely intertwined with a community wellness programme that CMHA Waterloo-Wellington will be leading.” Said Linton.
Fishburn said the strategy will include more events like the one in November under the Here4Hope banner.
“We have put some significant resources into one shared pot to have a really comprehensive plan in our community on life promotion and suicide prevention,” said Fishburn. “It’s going to have a huge impact in terms of creating awareness, support and increasing the resilience of Guelph and Wellington County over the next three years.”
