Vancouver Island Crisis Society works in local schools to bolster awareness, prevention
The Vancouver Island Crisis Society has been “taking suicide prevention to the heart of Nanaimo-Ladysmith district secondary schools, showing students how to be watchful and compassionate peers and how to detect signs of trouble in others.” Peer ‘gatekeepers’ learn about suicide warning signs and how to respond. They also learn more widely applicable life skills—listening skills, setting healthy boundaries, communicating, coping, and how to access community resources.
The GRASP (Growth, Resilience, Acknowledgment, Suicide Awareness, Preparation and Planning) program is designed to help teachers, students and administrators reach out to youth, extend support and build inclusion and resilience, all factors that can serve as a lifeline.
We’re joined in the studio by Heather Owen of the Vancouver Island Crisis Society.
