After many years of work the FNHA is pleased to launch the Hope, Help, and Healing Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Toolkit for First Nations communities.
This toolkit was developed for community health leads, Health Directors, community health workers, and others working in an area that touches on preventing and responding to suicide in their communities.
"Hope, Help, and Healing" intends to support planning efforts at the community, tribal council, Nation-based, and sub-regional levels and to support community workers in planning and developing a suicide prevention, intervention and postvention plan that can be used in their community.
The document you see before you is the combination of significant collaborative work, engagement, and commitment to better supporting communities in responding to and preventing suicide.
The Toolkit is available for download here and will be distributed to First Nations communities in the coming weeks. Confirm you are on the list by emailing: Resources@fnha.ca
The Tripartite Working Group on Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Postvention (PIP) was contacted by a Health Director who was grappling with a number of recent suicides in their community. The Health Director was aware of supports available to draw on for immediate support and stabilization but identified a lack of resources in the areas of suicide prevention and postvention - or as the Health Director asked, "what supports are available to stop this from happening again?" The Tripartite Working Group Suicide PIP began work on developing a resource for communities to assist in suicide response and prevention.
A literature review of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention was completed, as well as feedback gathered through a focus group discussion. Planning tools were added, and a community engagement process was done to gather input, feedback, and direction from five First Nations communities:
1. Cowichan Tribes at Duncan in the Vancouver Island Region
2. Three Corners Health Society at Williams Lake in the Interior Region
3. Skidegate Health Centre at Haida Gwaii in the Northern Region
4. Southern Stl'atl'imx at Pemberton in the Vancouver Coastal Region
5. Sts'Ailes First Nation near Mission in the Fraser Region
Collaboration with the FNHDA through a UBC Learning Circle and online input demonstrated a clear need for a resource such as this. As you will read within this document, suicides disproportionately impact First Nations communities in BC over other British Columbians. It is also noted that suicide is not an issue within each and every community, but can impact some more often than others.
Regional and Nation-based forums discussing implementation of "A Path Forward: BC First Nations and Aboriginal People's Mental Wellness and Substance Use 10 Year Plan" took place throughout 2014 and at these forums, FNHA representatives heard the need for clear and concise crisis response and intervention tools at the community level. "Hope, Help, and Healing" intends to support planning efforts at the community, tribal council, Nation-based, and sub-regional levels.
Download the Hope, Help and Healing toolkit here (PDF 2.38 MB)
