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
BeThere.Org is a free resource and certification which teaches individuals how to be there for one another during a mental health challenge. Their 5 Golden Rules is a simple but actionable framework that can be used to support someone struggling with their mental health.
Please note, this resource is general to mental health challenges and may not provide specific information on responding to suicidal distress.
#ChatSafe Guides
The first #ChatSafe guide is designed to support safe peer-to-peer conversations about suicide between young people aged 12 to 25. It provides information on how to respond to self-harm or suicide related content, how to look for information or support about suicide, and how to share safely about personal experiences.
This second #ChatSafe guide is designed for parents and carers of young people who may be communicating about suicide and self-harm online. The guide provides general information about the importance of talking about self-harm and suicide, what safe online communication may look like, and how to look after yourself and your young person.
Both guides were developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in partnership with Orygen.
Mental Health Commission of Canada: Safer Conversations about Suicide on Social Media
Safer Conversations about suicide on social media – Mental Health Commission of Canada
Many of us use social media as a way to communicate about mental health and suicide. This resource from the Mental Health Commission of Canada provides considerations and best practices for discussing and posting about suicide on social media.
Jed Foundation: How to Ask Someone if They Are Thinking About Suicide
How to Ask Someone If They Are Thinking About Suicide | JED
The Jed Foundation is a U.S. based suicide prevention organization. This short guide provides 10 steps to follow when having a conversation with someone who you believe may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. The Jed Foundation has additional resources on their website to help you navigate supporting a friend.
Remember, Help is Available.
If you or a loved one is struggling and need support, help is available. Visit our Adult Resources or Youth Resources pages for online and community-based resources.