Residents in the North Okanagan are being encouraged to openly talk about their mental health in September, which is world suicide prevention month.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Vernon will be leading workshops throughout the month.
Tuesday, Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, and CMHA Vernon's crisis intervention and prevention team will be spreading awareness in the community through educational opportunities, media appearances, and honest, open conversations.
"Connection to others is an essential part of health, so preventing suicide needs to be a community-wide effort," said Emily Hollenbach, director of the crisis intervention and prevention team. "The theme for World Suicide Prevention Day is Changing the Narrative on Suicide and the emphasis is on evolving from silence and stigma to openness and support about suicide."
To start the conversation, memorial trees will be placed at various locations around Vernon for September. Members of the public are invited to sign a leaf and hang it on a tree as a way of honouring a loved one lost to suicide. The trees, and leaves, will be located at: CMHA Vernon鈥檚 main office, the People Place, the Family Resource Centre, North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society and the Okanagan Indian Band鈥檚 cultural safety office. The trees will be collected at the end of September and displayed at CMHA for a memorial tea event.
During Tuesdays in September, wellness education staff will be leading workshops on depression and strategies to manage it.
On Sept. 10, there are three opportunities for the public to participate:
- Dr. Mark Sinyor will be leading a webinar called Changing the Narrative: How we can reshape public discourse about suicide to save lives at 7:30 a.m.
- A virtual showing of Moving America's Soul on Suicide will take place at 5 p.m. Then at 7 p.m., there will be one-hour of emotional support for those wanting assistance.
- At 8 p.m., residents are asked to light a candle in memory of those lost to suicide.
There will be another showing of the movie (Moving America's Soul on Suicide) on Thursday, Sept. 19, starting at 5 p.m.
Registration for the workshops can be done at workshops@cmhavernon.ca, with more information on world suicide prevention month being found at
