This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
NSGEU member's personal experience with tragedy leads to free online resource booklet for others coping with the loss of loved loves.
Halifax (5 July 2010) - Three years ago, Carol Cashen lost her teenage son to suicide when he had jumped from the Macdonald Bridge into Halifax Harbour. When police came to her door, they gave her a victim services card.
 |
“When I called the number on the card they couldn’t really direct me to any resources or give me any support,” she recalls.
Failing to get the information she needed, she sought it out for herself. “I realized that if I was having such a difficult time finding support resources for survivors (those left behind after someone has died of suicide), others must be having a difficult time as well.”
It was then that she realized she could make a difference for others and began work on the booklet idea.
Carol is a member of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE).
A licenced practical nurse (LPN) who works in public health in the school system in Halifax, Carol applied for and received a grant from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and partnered with Dr. Stan Kutcher, Sun Life chair for Adolescent Mental Health at the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. The grant helped them develop the booklet and produce the first 2,500 copies.
The booklet is called, Have You Lost Someone To Suicide? It includes support information for the survivors and for those who want to help a survivor — websites, books, support groups and crisis phone lines. There are also answers for friends and family who don’t know what to do to help the survivor.
Carol's main goal is to reach families quickly - within 24 to 36 hours - so both the survivor and the family can identify what is normal grief and what may be signs of depression.
For survivors, instead of being isolated and alone, the booklet directs them to places where they can receive some support. For those not comfortable with support groups, there are readings as well.
The information in the booklet clarifies some of the questions people may have about what to say to a friend who is a survivor. It contains information from a variety of sources including health professionals and survivors.
“You really need to talk,” Carol says. “It is not just me - 80% of people who go through the loss want to talk about the person they lost.”
Carol is now advocating for education in the school system to help children distinguish among emotions and become aware of situations that may signal the need for help - whether for themselves or friends.
She sits on the provincial committee of the Nova Scotia Strategic Framework to Address Suicides, which focuses on 'postvention' (a supportive intervention conducted after a suicide). She also chairs the survivors component of the National Suicide Prevention conference to be held in Halifax in October - organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
The booklet is free and is available on-line. Hard copies can be obtained at Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Recreation Centers, the IWK and various agencies across Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).
To download your own copy of the booklet, please visit, www.teenmentalhealth.org and click on Teens and Families.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE