IH enhances suicide prevention with new ED guidelines, resources

On May 15, 2025, the BC Government announced a province-wide suicide prevention framework to help health-care workers care for people at risk of suicide.

The framework was developed in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC with contributions from IH.

“The partnership was relatively unique, and it was really the collaboration that gave it strength,” says Dr. Aron Zuidhof, IH’s former medical director of the Emergency Services Network. “Having Minister Josie Osborne step in to announce the endorsement of the framework positions this work and this collaboration in a good place to help continue to move the needle on suicide care in our EDs across the health authority.”

Part of the ongoing work includes having tools and resources consistently available to health-care teams working in EDs across IH. One such resource is a referral process that will be tailored to each patient’s circumstances and needs. 

“If a person requires admission to the hospital that may call for an urgent follow-up, this can include facilitating family and friend support, and rapid community mental health follow-up, either in person or virtual,” explains Dr. Zuidhof. “One of the key things to that is making sure that those resources and the process map are well laid out, and are consistent, reliable and equitable. This allows more rural places to have equitable access compared to a larger place like Kelowna.”

Since this work began, suicide screening has improved across IH EDs with the rate of screening having increased to approximately 30 per cent. The goal moving forward is to continue to enhance the capabilities of frontline workers across IH and to see suicide screening being implemented consistently.

“We don’t have to be experts in mental health, but we do have a role to play and that might be to just ask somebody how they are doing. If they say they have been having thoughts of harming themselves, we may not know the perfect answer ourselves, but we can connect them to the experts,” Lisa says.

A round of patient and provider surveys was recently completed by IH, UBCO and CMHA BC. A further evaluation is set to take place in fall 2025.

“There’s a sense of pride and appreciation in seeing all the different people working together to try and make even small improvements,” shares Lisa. “Building relationships, fostering connections and learning together are at the heart of ongoing quality improvement and have laid the groundwork for this project and ones that will follow.”

Call 310-MHSU (6478) to reach your local Mental Health and Substance Use Centre for support in your community.

If you’re experiencing feelings of hopelessness or thoughts of self-harm, you can call one of these numbers. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays:

• Interior Crisis Line Network - 1-888-353-2273
• Suicide Crisis Helpline - 988
• KUU-US (Indigenous) Crisis Line - 1-800-588-8717
• Métis Crisis Line - 1-833-638-4722