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By Angela Brown

Rapid Access Counselling

Battlefords-Meadow Lake families impacted by suicide can access free counselling supports

Mar 6, 2024 | 3:39 PM

Battlefords and Meadow Lake area families struggling after losing a loved one to suicide, or who survived a suicide attempt with significant injury or trauma will now be able to access a free new counselling service launched in Saskatchewan.

The link to book an appointment for the Rapid Access Counselling for Suicide Loss Program is available here.

The province is providing $200,000 in new annual funding to Family Service Saskatchewan to develop and provide a provincial suicide loss support program. The province says suicide loss support is “an important prevention effort aimed at reducing the risk of future suicides due to unresolved grief or trauma.”

The “Rapid Access Counselling for Suicide Loss Program” will be available in person in Regina (Family Service Regina), Saskatoon (Family Service Saskatoon), Prince Albert (Catholic Family Services) and Humboldt (PARTNERS Family Services), and will be accessible virtually and over the phone anywhere throughout the province.

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Battlefords Branch executive director Michele Winterholt specifically noted those who have lost a loved one to suicide experience a unique type of grief, and may have a hard time sharing their feelings, and finding support, so the service really fills a need.

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“I think it’s something that is really fantastic,” she said. “It’s a gap that needs to have those supports filled for those that have faced that loss of an individual taking their life. Any support that can be provided to families, friends, caregivers, anyone who has been impacted after the loss of someone from the individual taking their life is beneficial. It’s a gap that I don’t think we have a lot of resources or groups or things in the community for that specific group of individuals. So it’s definitely filling a void that’s needed, and will be I’m sure very well received and appreciated.”

Winterholt added she firmly believes that without this program being available, people struggle trying to understand, accept or move forward in their grieving process, so this counselling service works as “another layer of support to help them and their mental health when facing that situation… and an outlet to talk about it.”

Family Service Saskatchewan will provide a variety of services including referrals, counselling, education and awareness for families and communities. The organization is developing a network that families and friends can be referred to by individuals, families, health providers, police and other first responders immediately following a suicide or suicide attempt with significant injury or trauma.

“Whether it is an individual who has tried to take their life, or an individual who did take their life and there are individuals left to mourn that, any supports and additional resources to those to continue to help them to heal, grown, learn and love themselves and give themselves self-compassion, self-care – all the things that they need to know or learn that they are supported in any way possible is huge…” Winterholt said. “It’s something that will potentially save others lives as well.”

She noted for its part, the CMHA Battlefords Branch can also help in these situations relating to the issue of suicide through its peer support worker, an individual who has “lived experience.”

“They lend a listening ear, they help them set goals, they help provide them with resources,” Winterholt said. “The peer support worker is not a clinical professional, so they are not a counsellor, they are not certified. They are just a human being with lived experience who can take their experience and relate it to the others or share with the others, to help them in their mental health journey as well.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow