New guidelines for emergency departments (EDs) for recognizing and supporting people at risk of suicide have already increased rates of suicide screening and are expected to save lives.
In 2020, suicide screening in EDs was added as a requirement by Accreditation Canada, a national organization that assesses health-care services and programs.
Interior Health (IH) collaborated with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC and UBC Okanagan (UBCO) to do an in-depth study in the region’s EDs. Led by Dr. Lesley Lutes, along with a team of graduate students, and supported by IH Emergency Services Network regional education coordinator Amy Luff, the UBCO researchers evaluated suicide screening within IH EDs. This included reviewing charts and receiving feedback from both frontline providers and patients.
Findings indicated that suicide screening was being done in EDs less than 10 per cent of the time.
“I have been working in emergency nursing for more than 20 years,” says IH Emergency Services Network director Lisa Hobenshield. “Generally, we are comfortable in a trauma room or resuscitating patients. Having a therapeutic conversation about somebody’s mental health or their substance use is challenging in an emergency setting.
“Yet, the emergency department is where people come to get help,” she continues. “We look at this collaboration as an opportunity to try and change the culture, reduce stigma and help people where they are at.”
New framework aims to save more lives
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.”
Providing consistent, equitable care across the region
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.”
Empowering frontline workers to have vital conversations
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.”
Get help today
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:
Cottonwoods Care Centre coordinator Lia Sambrielaz has been sharing small acts of kindness at IH for 37 years.
/stories/we-are-ih-coordinator-motivated-help-long-term-care-clients
Our 9-part video series teaches about the purpose and importance of advance care planning (ACP) and why it gives peace of mind to you and your loved ones.
/stories/lets-talk-about-advance-care-planning-your-voice-your-choice
A funding initiative is helping the Cariboo Chilcotin Métis Association (CCMA) grow food security in ways that reflect knowledge, culture and community needs.
/stories/funding-helps-williams-lake-metis-community-support-food-security
Meghan Johnston became a registered psychiatric nurse after watching people struggle to navigate the health-care system and witnessing the barriers they faced.
/stories/we-are-ih-psychiatric-nurse-finds-meaning-crisis-team-role
Jasmine Mingaud found relief and stability after connecting with the Central Okanagan PCN where a team helped her manage chronic pain and life challenges.
/stories/how-primary-care-team-changed-one-womans-chronic-pain-journey
Behind every appointment, lab test and medical imaging test are a complex set of processes. A small but mighty team is transforming how that work gets done.
/stories/saving-time-improving-patient-care-intelligent-automation
STAY CONNECTED
Receive news, alerts, public service announcements and articles right to your inbox.
