A youth suicide prevention program that has supported thousands of young people in Greater Victoria is expanding to more Vancouver Island school districts.
Provided by NEED2: Suicide Prevention, Education and Support, the program offers in-person workshops in three Victoria school districts and also runs an online crisis chat service named Youthspace.ca. NEED2 has offered its services for more than two decades.
“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.”
This expansion is set to complement World Suicide Prevention Day, which takes place on Sept. 10. Its new theme for the next three years is centred on “changing the narrative on suicide”, which is in line with NEED2 ethos, explained Sabrina Studney, NEED2’s executive director.
“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,” said Studney.
Part of NEED2’s program expansion includes featuring mindfulness workshops for elementary schools.
“We’ve developed a program that’s more age-appropriate for elementary-age students,” said Studney. “We are also hoping to put that out this year if possible.”
Thanks in part to an Island Health Community Wellness Grant Program, NEED2 received $10,000 to help with the expansion, with a timeline that runs to the end of June 2025.
During the last school year, NEED2 provided workshops to more than 3,600 students in Greater Victoria. Studney expects that figure will be near 5,000 in the next school year.
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.
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.”
