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The Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council has three full-time staff and one part-time staff and is governed by a Board of Directors.
You may have heard of the terms self-harm, self-injury, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). But what do these terms mean, and how are they related to suicide? According to Self-Injury Outreach and Support (SiOS), a collaboration between two Ontario universities, “non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), also referred to as self-injury or self-harm,
Pink Shirt Day is observed annually on the last Wednesday of February, and this year, it falls on February 26. It’s a day dedicated to standing up against bullying and promoting kindness, empathy, and respect. It started back in 2007, when two grade 12 students in Nova Scotia bought and
Throughout January, there are a few different awareness days that focus on mental health and wellbeing, including Bell Let’s Talk Day. To help support caring conversations about mental health and suicide prevention in our community, we’ve compiled some of our favourite conversation guides. BeThere.Org Be There – Mental health support
Older adults are typically understood to be those aged 65 and older. These adults are a growing proportion of the world’s population. In fact, Region of Waterloo estimates that by 20235, 1/5 residents will be considered to be older adults. (Region of Waterloo, 2022). It’s long been recognized that
Middle adulthood can often bring its own unique challenges, many associated with specific transitions experienced during this life stage. Although there is no agreed upon definition of middle age and middle-adulthood, it can refer to a range of ages from 30 to 65. Some significant life transitions that may
The transition to young adulthood is filled with new experiences and decisions to be made, including whether to attend post-secondary school, such as college or university. Beginning college or university can come with many significant changes which may impact a person’s mental health and wellbeing. Changes such as moving
Suicide is a complex issue that affects individuals across the lifespan, from children and youth to older adults. While there is no single risk factor that can predict suicide, there may be an increased risk for suicide during specific life transitions. This is because life transitions often involve significant change,
Libraries are often referred to as “third places,” a term popularized by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe places outside of home (the “first place”) and work or school (the “second place”). Third places, like libraries, are vital for mental health and wellness of a community. Third places help people to
Compassion is an emotional response to the struggles of others combined with a real, authentic desire to help lessen their suffering. Compassion is something we can extend to others, and to ourselves. Compassion can also be shared on an individual, group, and community level. Interestingly, a community that promotes, and
Compassion is an emotional response to the struggles of others combined with a real, authentic desire to help lessen their suffering. Although compassion is often discussed as a way to help others, we can also show compassion to ourselves, through developing self-compassion. According to researcher and author Kristin Neff, “self-compassion
Mental Health Week is an annual awareness and advocacy campaign led by the Canadian Mental Health Association, which strives to increase awareness of mental health and advocate for increased mental health supports. This year, Mental Health Week is from May 6th to 12th and the theme is #CompassionConnects. Compassion
The winter holiday season can bring expected and unexpected thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This can be especially true for those who have experienced a loss and are grieving. In this blog post, we share tips and tools that may help you to manage and cope with your grief during the
Stress: What is it, and How Can We Manage it? In 2017, as part of an identified strategy, the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council underwent a project to collect stress, life promotion, and resiliency resources from across the web. This information collected about stress is now included here, in an
Join WRSPC for World Suicide Prevention Day 2023! Established internationally on September 10th, 2003, World Suicide Prevention Day presents an opportunity for communities to gather, connect, and show support to one another. Since then, the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council has hosted annual World Suicide Prevention Day events to promote
Have you ever heard of the term “safety plan” and wondered what it meant? This blog may help! In this blog, we discuss: What safety planning is and how it can help to keep people safe from suicide How to develop a safety plan Different formats that can help you
Across the world, June is recognized as Pride Month, an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the existence, diversity, and accomplishments of the 2sLGBTQ+ community. Pride month also serves as a reminder of the discrimination and challenges faced by 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, and the continued need for allyship and support. June is
In Canada, June is the national awareness month for many things, including Pride Month and Men’s Mental Health Month! To show support and encourage help-seeking behaviour, WRSPC has compiled a list of local, provincial, and national resources and supports for both men and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. You can check out
Every year during the first week of May in Canada, Mental Health Week is honoured and celebrated. This year, the theme of Mental Health Week is “My Story”. Stories are an important way that we can connect with others and make sense of our experiences, including lived or living experiences
As part of Mental Health Week 2023 and the theme of #MyStory, the WRSPC team is going “beyond the bios” to answer 5 questions which share different pieces of their stories. Continue reading to learn more about Elisa, the Executive Director of WRSPC! What is one song, movie, or television
As part of Mental Health Week 2023 and the theme of #MyStory, the WRSPC team is going “beyond the bios” to answer 5 questions which share different pieces of their stories. Continue reading to learn more about Karyn, one of the Program Coordinators with WRSPC! What is one song, movie,
As part of Mental Health Week 2023 and the theme of #MyStory, the WRSPC team is going “beyond the bios” to answer 5 questions which share different pieces of their stories. Continue reading to learn more about Chantalle, one of the Program Coordinators with WRSPC! What is one song,
As part of Mental Health Week 2023 and the theme of #MyStory, the WRSPC team is going “beyond the bios” to answer 5 questions which share different pieces of their stories. Continuing reading to learn more about Marta, our Development Assistant! What is one song, movie, or television show that
Today is the beginning of #MentalHealthWeek 2023! Mental Health Week is an annual awareness campaign spearheaded by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and aims to spread awareness and challenge stigma around mental health. This year, the theme of Mental Health Week is #MyStory. In honor and to celebrate #MentalHealthWeek,
Updated and Republished February 2024. Throughout February, in acknowledgement and celebration of Black History Month we shared information about local and national organizations and programs which serve Black individuals and the community. To keep these resources accessible for those who need them, we thought it would be useful to compile
Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day, which got us thinking: how are random acts of kindness connected to the work of suicide prevention? Well, random acts of kindness are simple acts of friendliness or generosity towards another person who we may or may not know. These can be things
Since 1997, the Council has worked to reduce suicide and its impact in the Waterloo Region community. Over the past 25 years, we have evolved from primarily providing suicide prevention awareness and education in the community, to offering a variety of services including access to suicide alertness trainings, the administration
Last year, the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council launched the first Winter Break Wellbeing Passport. The passport encouraged families to go on an adventure towards greater mental and physical wellbeing during the winter break. This year, we are excited to release an updated passport with some new activities that you
Over the past several years, it seems that Canadians have become more comfortable talking about mental health, stress, and life’s challenges. However, many still struggle with asking for help and support. In this blog, we discuss some reasons why asking for help can be difficult, as well as ways you
In September, students across our Region will start a new semester or school year. New beginnings and periods of transition can be challenging for some. To help support our community, WRSPC has compiled a list of mental health resources for students attending school, including post-secondary, in the Region of Waterloo.
Sharing your story, whether you have lived/living experience with suicide behaviours or have been bereaved by suicide, can be meaningful for yourself and others. Telling your story is a way to share information, provide hope, and honor someone who died by suicide. However, research has shown that sometimes, sharing a
World Suicide Prevention Day provides an opportunity for our community to gather, to remember, and to heal. Each year the WRSPC hosts an annual World Suicide Prevention Day event, encouraging anyone in our community to join together. While the event is centered around acknowledging those whose lives have been touched
From Wednesday, May 11 to Friday, May 13, 2022, the WRSPC team attended the “Together for Life” National Conference on Suicide Prevention in Montréal, Quebec. The conference was jointly organized by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP), the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life
This post is part of our #MentalHealthWeek series on empathy and suicide prevention. To view the entire series, click here. Empathy and Suicide Prevention Empathy is important for supporting mental health, and we want to focus on the specific role that empathy plays in suicide prevention. One way to help
This post is part of our #MentalHealthWeek series on empathy and suicide prevention. To view the entire series, click here. Using Empathy in Conversations Yesterday we highlighted the role that empathy plays in suicide prevention and noted that empathy connects us with the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of those who
This post is part of our #MentalHealthWeek series on empathy and suicide prevention. To view the entire series, click here. Empathy, Burnout, and Boundaries This #MentalHealthWeek we have been discussing empathy and how it can be used to help prevent suicide and reduce the impact of suicide in our communities.
Mental Health Week 2022: Empathy Series From Monday, May 2nd, 2022 to Friday, May 6th, WRSPC will be joining the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and other organizations across Canada in acknowledging and celebrating #MentalHealthWeek. This year the theme is empathy, and getting real about how to get help. Throughout
This post is part of our #MentalHealthWeek series on empathy and suicide prevention. To view the entire series, click here. Developing Empathy If you have been following along with our posts this week, you may be wondering “is empathy something that we are just born with – or born without?”.
This post is part of our #MentalHealthWeek series on empathy and suicide prevention. To view the entire series, click here. What is Empathy? Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the feelings of another. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view, rather than just our own. Empathy
The Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council has put together a resource for families during their Winter School Break. Take your family on an adventure this winter break towards greater mental health and wellbeing. This resource, the “Winter Break Wellbeing Passport”, takes families on an adventure within their own homes and communities
WRSPC is very excited to announce that our interview process was successful, and we have hired a new Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator, Holly Snook! Holly officially joined the team on July 5th and will work alongside outgoing Program Coordinator Amanda Demmer for the month of July. Holly has been familiar
Mourning the children of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation The Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council’s thoughts are with the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community, and all Indigenous communities, and we join in this time of collective mourning for the heartbreaking loss of their children. We acknowledge that the discovery of the
A statement from Amanda Demmer, current Program Coordinator: With mixed emotions, I share the news that I will be stepping down from my position as WRSPC’s Program Coordinator. I am saddened to be leaving a role that has allowed me such fulfilling opportunities to connect with and impact our community,
The Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council, in partnership with Front Door Children’s Mental Health Services, Lutherwood, the Waterloo Region District School Board, and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, has put together a resource for families during their April school break. This resources, the “April Break Wellbeing Passport”, takes families
Today, on Bell Let’s Talk Day, we are launching our newest initiative #365Convos. Bell Let’s Talk Day raises awareness, encourages dialogue, and brings needed attention to mental health. Raising awareness can help us to attune to and recognize signs of struggle in ourselves and in those around us and can
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 We’ve reached the final day today of our Wellbeing Advent Calendar, and thank anyone who has been following along with this series as we’ve acknowledged the challenges we all may face this year as we see our December holiday celebrations such as Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa impacted by COVID-19.
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 There are many ways we can build our resilience. Just as we may take vitamins to protect ourselves from illness, or stretch to protect ourselves from injury, we can build up resilience factors that may protect our mental health from suffering. While just as taking a vitamin can’t totally
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 Today’s post is another one for youth: listen to a Kids Help Phone National Ambassador share 5 strategies they are using to cope with change during COVID-19. These strategies may help youth (and adults!) cope with the changes COVID-19 is creating this holiday season. Article below: Alicia Raimundo: How
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 “The approach of the winter season often brings expectations…..for many of us, idealized expectations can lead to frustration, loneliness, disappointment, anxiety, sadness and holiday blues.” An excerpt from todays resource from CMHA’s Self Help Alliance: their Winter Holiday Self-Care workbook. If that statement above resonates true for you, particularly
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 Today, a reminder that one way to be gentle with yourself over the holidays is to eliminate pressures. We may feel enough pressure during normal times to host the perfect gathering, give the perfect gift, cook the perfect meal, or buy the perfect outfit. This year, just as the
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 This month, the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s “Catalyst” newsletter included two articles titled “Giving the Gift of Self-Care” and “Making Spirits Bright” that touched on coping with and adapting to a different holiday season this year. Read the insights in these articles here: MHCC: Giving the Gift of
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 The practice of mindfulness is often spoken of and has been researched as an effective practice for coping with stress, anxiety, or depression. Toronto’s non-profit Centre for Mindfulness Studies shares with us some suggestions for how mindfulness can be useful in the current times of uncertainty, and shares some
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 #Resource Thursday This resource compiled by the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health shares National and Provincial mental health support lines that provide seniors in Canada who may be feeling lonely or isolated with empathetic supportive listening or brief counselling. Find the organizations and phone numbers here
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 “Finding a way to stay socially connected during the pandemic is probably one of the best things we can do for our mental health”. From Calgary’s Centre for Suicide Prevention comes the third post in their Hope, belonging, meaning and purpose: suicide prevention in times of crisis blog series,
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 As we enter the holiday season, we often encounter added stressors. Under normal circumstances, those stressors may be around preparing for family gatherings or meals, or dealing with past traumas or losses that may be amplified over the holidays. This year, where family gatherings are not possible, the stressors
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 Today, we’re sharing with you more upcoming personal learning opportunities this week from community agencies CMHAWW and Carizon. Take a look at what they have to offer with topics like “Resilience” and “Coping with Loneliness and Isolation”. December 15, 1-2pm “Maintaining Good Mental Health: Self Care” by CMHAWW December
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 It sounds easy, but with busy lives – or busy minds! – getting enough sleep isn’t always easy to do. Tonight, or in the coming week, prioritize your sleep. Wondering how to get a good night’s sleep? We shared links to some articles with tips in our Resilience &
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 This one is for the youth – Kids Help Phone has written a great article about how to reach out during the holidays that also includes links to different exercises you can practice when you’re feeling strong emotions, such as breathing and releasing tension in your body. Read it
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 Another fantastic virtual workshop on Dec.14, this one is offered by the Woolwich Community Health Centre from 1:30-3pm and is titled “Coping with the Holiday Season during the Pandemic”. For more information and to register, visit Coping with the Holiday Season during the Pandemic – Woolwich Community Health Centre
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 Didn’t get enough about self-care in yesterdays Stress Management or Inner Peace workshops? On Dec 14th 2-3pm CMHAW’s Family Education Series is offering a free Self-Care during the holidays webinar. Details and registration at Family Education Series: Self Care during the Holidays | CMHA Waterloo Wellington (cmhaww.ca)
Today is all about slowing down and coping with stress. Take time to think about what activities nourish you when things get overwhelmed. Can you do one activity today, no matter how big or small, that is just for YOU? How can you build a small practice into your day
More amazing programming from CMHA’s Self-Help and Peer Support! Their Spark of Brilliance program, an arts-based support program for those living with mental health struggles, is offering “15 Days of Creativity”, including workshops on spoken word, crochet, watercolour, memoir writing, and more. See the brochures for more information and registration
#WellbeingAdventCalendar2020 The US-based Greater Good Science Centre conducts and shares scientific research through stories, tips, and tools for a happier life and a more compassionate society. Though written for US Thanksgiving, this article on how to find some gratitude during pandemic holidays shares important insights, including how we can navigate
Self-Care is something we talk about a lot here at WRSPC, and for good reason. Many people may have misconstrued ideas on what constitutes self-care, or may underestimate the importance of self-care for maintaining positive mental health. Take a look at the graphic below for some ideas on self-care, then
BounceBack is a free, guided self-help program that’s effective in helping people aged 15 and up who are experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety or depression, or may be feeling low, stressed, worried, irritable or angry. Participants receive telephone coaching, skill-building workbooks and online videos to help them overcome these symptoms and gain
From our list of 101 Ways to deal with stress comes this tip #28: Say Something Nice to Someone. Did you know that saying something nice to someone else will not only make them feel good, but also make you feel good? Today, think about who you can say something
Bereaved Families of Ontario – Midwestern Region is hosting “Anything But Merry”: Virtual education sessions allowing individuals to collectively acknowledge the difficulties the holiday season can bring. There are two more upcoming sessions on Dec 9 and Dec 10 at 7pm. See attached poster for more information, and register online
Carizon is offering a virtual workshop series entitled “Finding Hope Through the Darkness”. The first virtual workshop session on Self-Care occurs tonight, Dec 2 from 3-4pm. For more information and to register visit Hope Workshop Overview Package – Final (carizon.ca)
Self-Help & Peer Support is hosting a new virtual group in December titled “Coping with the Holidays”. Groups will be held every Tuesday up until the Holidays (Dec 1, 8, 15, & 22) from 10:30-11:30am. To register for this group, email selfhelpgroup@cmhaww.ca. To view other groups available in December, visit
In June of 2020, the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council committed to growth by continuously pursuing opportunities to view suicide prevention efforts from a lens of anti-racism. As part of this pursuit, we as an organization are mindful that the My Life Matters messaging on our t-shirts may have a
Developed by Srishti Sharma, WRSPC Volunteer The final form of protective factors in this series is Spiritual Protective Factors. Spirituality can be thought of as a connection to something outside yourself, as well as a connection within yourself, and can take the many forms such as introspection to understand yourself,
This week in our Resilience & Protective Factors series, we are looking at Social Protective Factors. While last week’s psychological factors looked at internal factors, this week we are exploring the importance of social connections, community, and belonging. This week we will talk about positive connections, community support, and family
This week in our Resilience & Protective Factors series, we’re looking at Psychological factors. Psychological factors might be what most of us typically think of when we think of mental health and individual wellness. We’ll look at some evidence-based characteristics that may lower the likelihood of negative mental health outcomes.
Each week in this series, we’ll look at one category of Resilience & Protective factors and share 3 factors within that category. This week, we’ll be exploring Biophysical Resilience & Protective Factors. Biophysical factors refer to the biological and physical needs of our bodies. We know that physical health is
World Suicide Prevention Day provides an opportunity for the community to gather, to remember, and to heal. Each year the WRSPC hosts an annual World Suicide Prevention Day event, encouraging anyone in our community to join. While the event is centered around acknowledging those whose lives have been touched by
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1599653764168{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Welcome to our Virtual Wellness Fair for World Suicide Prevention Day 2020! Here, we share videos from various community agencies and organizations providing mental health and wellness services within Waterloo Region. Please browse these videos and the follow links to agency websites for more information. Thank you
The WRSPC joins the community in mourning and acknowledges the recent tragic and devastating experiences of anti-Black systemic racism in our world and the impact of racialized violence. Experiences of racism and discrimination reaffirm the importance of grounding our work in hope, help and healing within the following values: We
Welcome to Beyond the Bio, the series where we get to know our WRSPC staff a little better. Here are the answers to our 5 Beyond the Bio questions from WRSPC Executive Director Elisa Brewer-Singh. Q1: Which Aspect of your work gives you the greatest sense of purpose or meaning?
Welcome to Beyond the Bio, the series where we get to know our WRSPC staff a little better. Here are the answers to our 5 Beyond the Bio questions from WRSPC Administrative Project Coordinator Jenna Peacock. Q1: Which Aspect of your work gives you the greatest sense of purpose or
Welcome to Beyond the Bio, the series where we get to know our WRSPC staff a little better. Here are the answers to our 5 Beyond the Bio questions from WRSPC Program Coordinator Amanda Demmer. Q1: Which aspect of your work gives you the greatest sense of purpose or meaning?
Welcome to “Beyond the Bio”! Anyone who has ever attended a WRSPC meeting or event knows we are a social bunch. Whether it is a monthly board meeting or our Annual General Meeting, we typically start meetings with friendly hellos and hugs. In this time of physical distancing during a
This past year the WRSPC board and staff, guided by the wisdom of our advisory committee and community partners, spent time revisiting the organizational mission, vision, and key priorities. We asked ourselves many questions about our purpose, goals, and measures of success, and landed on updated mission and vision statements
Stress is an individual and personal response or reaction to a situation. Individuals may have different stress responses, different stress thresholds, and different signs of stress. The stress response may also vary within an individual day by day – what may not cause stress on one day may cause stress
This year, CMHA’s annual mental health week has the theme of Social Connection, and encourages people to #GetReal about how they really feel. Watch this video from WRSPC ED Elisa Brewer-Singh talking about Mental Health Week 2020. At the WRSPC, we know that it is important to have social connection
COVID-19 is affecting the lives of many of us in many ways, which may include taking a toll on our mental health. We’ve come together as a community to ensure the physical health and safety of those in our lives. Let’s also think about how we can come together to
March 13: We understand the growing concerns surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) across our community, and our hearts hold space for all those who’ve been impacted or are struggling with the uncertainty during this time. We will include some links to community resources that can be accessed remotely below. We also know
Each year, the WRSPC accepts grant applications from organizations in the community looking to implement suicide prevention programming or activities. To be eligible for funding, applicants must be from Waterloo Region and programs or activities must align with the mission & vision of the WRSPC. Programs or activities must also
WRSPC Board of Directors Member Application Form The Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council (WRSPC) Board of Directors operates under a governance model with a commitment to the growth and financial well-being of the organization and its mission to reduce suicidal behavior and its impact on individuals, family and community. The
Linda Bender Suicide Prevention Training Bursary for Students In honour of a strong advocate, supporter, and member of the council, Linda Bender, the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council now provides bursaries for students and recent graduates looking to take suicide prevention trainings such as SafeTALK and ASIST training. To be
Each year, the WRSPC accepts grant applications from organizations in the community looking to implement suicide prevention programming or activities. To be eligible for funding, applicants must be from Waterloo Region and programs or activities must align with the mission & vision of the WRSPC. Programs or activities must also
Following a very solid and thorough hiring process, the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council is delighted to announce that Elisa Brewer-Singh has been selected as the new Executive Director. She will undertake the position in January with mentoring support from our outgoing Executive Director Tana Nash until the end of March, and
Message from WRSPC The WRSPC is very aware of the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why and that many of you, your friends and your teenagers may be watching it if you are a parent. We want to caution you that much of the material is graphic and potentially triggering (including
We are very excited to be training a total of 60 masters of social work students from Laurier School of Social Work in ASIST, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training during the month of May. This training prepares students to identify people with thoughts of suicide and be given the opportunity
101 Ways to Cope with Stress Facilitators’ Guide Yvonne Bergmans, ASR Chair in Suicide Studies (Courtesy of the Tripler Regional Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii) (Sheet given by group member) 1. get up 15 minutes earlier 2. prepare for the morning the night before 3. avoid tight fitting clothes 4. avoid
