Youth centre addresses suicide with Not Alone! project

Posted Feb 16, 2012 By Jessica Cunha

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EMC News - The Kanata Haven Youth Centre has started a new youth-driven initiative to help educate people about mental health and suicide.

The Not Alone! project is a support service for youth in the Kanata area that may be dealing with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide.

"I think that's important, to let the youth know they're not alone," said Diane McNulty, a board member with the Kanata Haven Youth Centre.

McNulty said the centre recognizes a need for services catering to youth, dealing specifically with mental health issues and thoughts of suicide.

"Our centre was once again devastated by the tragic loss of another young person through suicide," said McNulty about the death of 15-year-old Jamie Hubley, son of Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley.

Jamie's death came almost one year after Daron Richardson, the 14-year-old daughter of Luke Richardson, an assistant coach of the Ottawa Senators, took her own life. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Canadian youth, surpassed only by accidents.

"Despite many efforts, there is still not enough information about mental illness in Kanata even after the loss of two youth to suicide," said Jenna Harding, 19, and a member of the Haven, in an email. "Depression is not the only disease that youth are experiencing and many other illnesses can also lead to thoughts of suicide."

The Haven asked their youth members to help develop a strategy.

"They found it really disturbing that these kids had nowhere to go," said McNulty. "(So) we went to the kids and said, 'What do you think would work?'"

Twelve-year-old Halee McDonald, a member of the Haven, said the Not Alone! program is important so youth feel like they have somewhere to turn.

"I do think this will help a lot," she said in an email. "I may not know any of the kids personally that have committed suicide but it still hurts a lot. I think, in some cases, it could have been prevented had they just felt like they had somewhere to go.

"I have been depressed but I had somewhere to turn and someone to talk to and my family understood that I needed someone other than them to help get through it. You can see a doctor or psychiatrist all day but unless you feel like they are there for you and you can trust them, it won't matter."

TALK TO A FRIEND

The majority of the youth polled at the Haven said they would talk to a friend first if they were dealing with dark thoughts, as opposed to an authority figure or a stranger on the telephone, said McNulty.

So the centre came up with the Not Alone! project, which aims to create awareness to eliminate the stigma associated with youth mental health and suicide, and to train youth and adults on how to identify those who may have thoughts of suicide, and how to connect those at risk with available resources.

"It's youth driven," said McNulty, adding this was not a program developed by adults. "It's a very grassroots approach."

Harding said the initiative will not only help to educate youth, but the community at large.

"Educating these youth will greatly benefit them because they will have an understanding of how they are feeling and how they can help themselves," she said. "Friends and family members of those suffering from mental illness will also be able to understand how their loved ones are feeling and how they can assist in a crisis."

The idea behind the project is a "multi-level process" said McNulty, with youth helping youth and adult volunteers helping to provide referrals and resources.

"The Not Alone project works at many different levels because there will be specific training for adults and specific education for youth," said Harding. "Putting the same information for everyone to see and read just does not work. We are strategically bringing awareness to fit the age gap between adults and adolescents."

A number of youth centre members, including Harding and Halee, plus adult volunteers, will receive training through the Distress Centre of Ottawa on how to provide emergency aid to youth at risk of suicide.

"They (the youth) wanted to educate themselves on what to do, what to say, and what not to do or say," said McNulty. "The more knowledge you have, the more powerful you feel."

The Haven was recently awarded a grant through the City of Ottawa's community project funding to help get the initiative off the ground. She added the project is still looking for additional funding in order to train as many volunteers as possible.

"We're really happy to get this going, our youth are really happy," she said.

McNulty said she's hoping to have the project kick off in April of this year and begin training youth and adult volunteers soon.

"We believe that by educating ourselves and working together we can help reduce the risk and let the healing begin," said McNulty.

For more information, contact McNulty at diane@

kanatahavenyouthcentre.com or 613-204-0035.




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