A youth suicide prevention program that has supported thousands of young people in Greater Victoria is expanding to more school districts on Vancouver Island, thanks in part to an Island Health Community Wellness Grant.
“Young people face more complex challenges than ever, and those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts need to know they’re not alone,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “With this expansion, more young people will be connected to the right services and have access to safe, supportive spaces, where they can openly talk about what they’re going through and get the tools they need to start healing.”
The program, provided by NEED2: Suicide Prevention, Education and Support, offers in-person workshops for three Victoria school districts and also runs Youthspace.ca, an online crisis chat service. NEED2 has offered its services for more than two decades.
“The expansion will involve connecting with additional school districts on Vancouver Island and building relationships with them,” says Sabrina Studney, NEED2’s executive director. “Making sure that they understand our programming, our intention as well as our success within Greater Victoria.”
These plans are a fitting complement to World Suicide Prevention Day, which takes place on Sept. 10. Its new theme, in place from 2024-26, is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” which Studney certainly relates to.
“This is exactly what the youth suicide prevention program and NEED2 as a whole have been doing for years,” she says. “We try to bring to light the importance of communication regarding suicidal ideations, to decrease the silence and stigma regarding suicide, and provide space for those experiencing suicidal ideations to feel safe and seek support – rather than suffering in isolation.”
Part of NEED2’s plans may also include a program expansion, featuring mindfulness workshops for elementary schools. “We’ve developed a program that’s more age-appropriate for elementary-age students,” says Studney. “We are also hoping to put that out this year if possible.”
NEED2 received a $10,000 grant from Island Health; planning and hiring is underway for the expansion project, with a timeline that runs to the end of June 2025.
“Resources, education and providing a safe space for youth to reach out, talk and share their feelings – rather than having to struggle in silence – can make such a difference,” says Dr. Murray Fyfe, one of Island Health’s medical health officers. “Island Health is honoured to support NEED2 and its expansion plans, which will provide invaluable supports and services for more young people on Vancouver Island.”
During the last school year, NEED2 provided workshops to more than 3,600 students in Greater Victoria, and Studney expects that figure will near 5,000 in the next school year. Meanwhile, over the past year the Youthspace.ca chat service served more than 4,500 clients nationally, with B.C. accounting for more than 1,650 of those.
These resources and supports are vital, as suicide is a leading cause of injury-related death for youth in B.C. aged 10-24. According to the 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey, 18 per cent of youth surveyed in south Vancouver Island had “seriously considered suicide in the past year,” while 19 per cent reported missing out on “needed mental health services.”
The latest round of Community Wellness Grant recipients was announced in July, and NEED2 is one of 53 projects that received funding, The theme of this year’s grant program is community resilience, with applicants invited to focus on one or more of the following: diverse communities, connected communities, safe communities, nourished communities and active communities.