Charlottetown, PEI – The Canadian Mental Health Association – PEI Division (CMHA PEI) is pleased to receive a $25,000 grant from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund in support of their suicide awareness and response program, ACTT for Life (ACTT= Ask, Care, Talk, Tell), which is offered to all Grade 9 students across PEI. The funding will support the ongoing delivery of the program for the 2022 school year.
ACTT for Life replaced the former Signals of Suicide program that was offered in schools for more than two decades. The new ACTT program is designed to empower youth with knowledge, skills and tools to manage situations involving mental health struggles and suicide among their peers and for themselves. The 90-minute ACTT workshop combines interactive discussions, activities and a powerful, 4-part video series, all with the aim of increasing mental health literacy and promoting help-offering and help-seeking
among youth.
Jessica McCarthy, a school counsellor at Kinkora Regional High School, has experienced the positive impacts of the ACTT for Life program at her school, located in rural Queens County. “The ACTT for Life program is very well coordinated. The ACTT facilitators are well-trained and provide guidance to our school so we can safely have these important conversations with youth, at a time when they need to know about mental health and suicide.”
McCarthy adds, “Each year, several students reach out for additional support as a result of the ACTT for Life program. Sometimes it’s about their own personal mental health struggles or they have concerns about a friend or family member. With the grant from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund to support our program, it’s great to be able to help our students make good decisions for themselves and their friends.”
“Bell Let’s Talk is pleased to help CMHA PEI continue to deliver their suicide prevention program to help youth in PEI,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “The Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund provides grants to community-based mental health organizations throughout the country, working to expand access to mental health care for youth through evidence-informed programs just like this.”
Bell Let’s Talk Day is tomorrow – January 26, 2022
On Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell donates 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every applicable text, local or long distance call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk, every Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube view of the Bell Let’s Talk Day video, and every use of the Bell Let’s Talk Facebook frame or Snapchat lens. All at no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service provider for online or phone access.
Executive Director of CMHA PEI, Shelley Muzika
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For media interviews contact:
Lori Morris
Communications Coordinator
communications@cmha.pe.ca
About Canadian Mental Health Association – PEI Division
CMHA–PEI works to improve the mental health and wellness of people living in PEI. Across the province, CMHA–PEI has over 150 volunteers and 100+ support staff providing programs, education and information, research and advocacy to achieve the goal of strengthening and enhancing every Islanders’ ability to achieve and maintain positive mental health. For more information on CMHA PEI visit: https://pei.cmha.ca/
For more information about CMHA’s ACTT for Life program and other suicide prevention and life promotion efforts, please go to: https://pei.cmha.ca/home/suicide–prevention/