The Department of Health and Community Services has provided $550,000 in funding to the Canadian Mental Health Association to support mental health and suicide prevention training initiatives.

This funding will enable CMHA-NL to continue to partner with Lifewise NL and Richard’s Legacy Foundation for Survivors of Suicide Loss to provide essential training programs across the province. This aligns with the recommendations in Our Path of Resilience: An Action Plan to Promote Life and Prevent Suicide in Newfoundland and Labrador to increase access to evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention training, thereby enhancing community resources and creating more resilient and supportive communities.

Building upon earlier funding, 62 courses have been offered with 630 people attending training in either Mental Health First Aid, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) or SafeTalk across the province as of March 2024. This investment will further support a coordinated and efficient approach to mental health training across the province.

Centralizing training with CMHA-NL, in collaboration with Lifewise NL and Richard’s Legacy Foundation for Survivors of Suicide Loss, will also help streamline administration, reduce per-participant costs, and allow Community Addictions Prevention and Mental Health Promotion (CAPMHP) Program funds historically used for this purpose to support additional community initiatives.

Budget 2024 includes more than $17 million to help improve access to mental health and addictions services by expanding options for individuals seeking help when and where needed.