Let your friends, family and colleagues know how you plan to “reach out” by sharing on social media and tagging your post with #WSPD2015.

Download this form, print and get involved. With increased awareness, collaboration, access to improved support and resources we can save lives across Canada. Suicide prevention is everybody’s business.

Five ways to get involved:

1. Raise awareness. Talk to your family, friends, and colleagues about suicide prevention and World Suicide Prevention Day. By talking about suicide and suicide prevention, without judgement, we break down stigma and raise awareness about the services and resources available for those in need.
2. Participate: Support a local WSPD event by either participating or sponsoring those involved. There are events happening across Canada aimed at raising awareness and safe guarding their communities. We will be tweeting and posting local events as we learn about them on our Facebook and Twitter Follow #WSPD2015 for updates.
3. Learn More: Would like to get more involved? Have questions around suicide, its causes, and want to know how it can be prevented through open and honest discussion, consider taking one of the following programs. There are a number of workshops to choose from and each course offers a progression in involvement and understanding of suicide intervention. Starting with suicideTALK an awareness session which can be taken either online or in person.  One of the most popular courses is safeTALK. This half-day workshop teaches you how to identify those having thoughts of suicide and talk to them about your concerns, and then connect them with life saving resources. Just as essential as learning CPR to protect those you love and care for, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) can help you protect your community. Available to anyone over the age of 15, find a workshop near you.
4. Donate: CASP is funded through the generous donations of individual Canadians and corporations. Your dollars go to further expanding the resources and programs available to reduce the suicide rate and minimize the harmful consequences of suicidal behaviour. Donate here.
5. Volunteer: Become a CASP member. Help us bring suicide intervention, prevention and postvention resources and support needed to the businesses, organizations and families within your community for hope, health and healing. Learn more on how to become a CASP member.

World Suicide Prevention Day is an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Now in its 12^th year, WSPD takes place on September 10^th each year serving as a suicide prevention call to action for organizations and individuals alike.

This year’s theme is “Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives” and suggests we all play a role in preventing suicide. Suicide prevention begins with recognizing the warning signs and taking them seriously. Be sympathetic, non-judgemental, patient, calm and accepting. It is often difficult for those who are suffering to talk about their feelings; by being supportive you are encouraging them to do so.

For 30 years CASP has been dedicated to reducing suicide rates and the devastating impact on society by supporting Canadians with important information about suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. We have developed the CASP BluePrint for the Canadian National Suicide Prevention Strategy and will continue to champion the implementation of this strategy with cooperation across all levels of government and integration with Health Canada’s Healthy Living Strategy. We are working on the implementation of a national suicide crisis line network, a much needed service for all Canadians. And we will continue to advocate for, and support those who are experiencing thoughts of suicide and suicide loss survivors.