The community coordinator for a national suicide prevention project in Meadow Lake says they will focus on prevention, intervention and post-intervention.

Anne Duriez feels the timing was good to get involved in the Roots of Hope initiative.

She says it came along after a community meeting to address a 2017 spike in youth needing hospital treatment for thoughts of suicide or actual suicide attempts.

The Meadow Lake plan includes training front line providers to recognize the warning signs of potentially suicidal youth.

Duriez is looking forward to the Head Strong Summit in October where students will gather to break down the barriers stigmatizing the discussion of mental health issues and look at ways of promoting mental health in their schools.

The Meadow Lake group will also interact with other Roots of Hope groups across the country and Duriez believes they may be able to adapt ideas generated elsewhere to fit their situation.

(CJWW)