Course Description:

The Skills for Safer Living program is a a twenty-week skills-based group for individuals who have had at least one self-identified suicide attempt. The group runs for twenty weeks and provides group participants the opportunity to develop specific strategies and skills to identify, interrupt, and change their behaviour about suicide. The maximum number of participants in each group is twelve.

The group process and content has been derived from the innovative work of Dr, Yvonne Bergmans and developed at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. The Skills for Safer Living program at CMHA HKPR is facilitated by a regulated professional and co‑facilitated by peer staff with extensive training, practice, and lived‑experience knowledge around understanding and preventing suicide.

Eligibility Criteria

16 years of age and over

Individuals must have a minimum of one self-reported suicide attempt.

Individuals must have stable housing.

Individuals must be connected to some type of a support in the community (doctor, social worker, therapist, case manager, peer worker etc.) who can provide them occasional individual emotional support throughout the individuals participation in the 20 week group intervention

Individuals must be able to get to the 90-minute weekly group sessions. In addition, individuals must be able to participate for the duration of the weekly group (approximately 5 months)

To learn more about the program, you can watch the short documentary Drawing from Life.

Please note that this link will redirect you to the National Film Board of Canada website.

Watch Here

Skills For Safer Living Form

Skills For Safer Living is a group format for individuals with the shared experience of attempting to end their life through suicide. The focus of the group is to collaborate in learning ways to engage more safely in day to day and highlight points of control we may not have seen before.

Name & Pronouns(Required)

Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Phone(Required)

May we contact you regarding this referral?(Required)

Yes

No (Choosing “No” means we won’t contact you, and you won’t join the group at this time.)

May we leave a message?(Required)

Yes

Email(Required)

Date of Birth(Required)

Current Supports(Required)

Do you have someone who can offer occasional individual emotional support throughout the 20‑week program?

Name of Support Person(Required)

First Last

Role of Support Person (ex. doctor, social worker, therapist)(Required)

Phone Number of Support Person(Required)

Date of Referral(Required)

Thinking about suicide, 9-8-8 is here to help. Call or text 9-8-8 toll-free, anytime