Welcome

Suicidal behaviour among youth, including thoughts, attempts and completions, is a serious concern in British Columbia and in other parts of the country. Child and youth mental health practitioners in collaboration with other allied human service providers have an important role to play in the prevention of suicide and suicidal behaviour among youth. The purpose of this site is to provide users with high-quality, up-to-date information on the topic of youth suicide prevention.

Intended Audience

The material that has been assembled here has been written specifically for child and youth mental health practitioners working in British Columbia, however it will be of relevance to a range of youth-serving practitioners, social care and health providers, Aboriginal practitioners and leaders, school personnel, and members of the media who are interested in making a productive and informed contribution to the overall youth suicide prevention agenda in this province.

The information contained here is not meant to replace existing Ministry for Children and Family Development (MCFD) policy nor is it to be interpreted as the standard of care for treating suicidal youth.

It is important to recognize that this site is not a crisis response service. If you or someone you care about is currently in crisis, call 1-800-SUICIDE or visit the Youth in BC website for on-line emotional support.

Overview

A range of content will be included on this web site including: background information about suicide, statistics, prevention planning materials, example protocols, research informed recommendations for working with youth at risk for suicide and guidelines for responding in the aftermath of a youth suicide.

Throughout this site you will find background text and tables, fact sheets, downloadable PDF documents, links to relevant websites, and information about how to access relevant resources.