April 23, 2010 – Today, a diverse group of Thunder Bay leaders, youth, policy makers, and service providers came together to celebrate the release of the
Youth Voice Report. This report documents the opinions of youth in Thunder Bay about what our city can do to help prevent youth suicide.
Data informing the Youth Voice Report was collected through a series of workshops held in local high schools over the past few months. Students participating in the workshops were asked several questions, including who they turn to in hard times, their opinion of the views our community holds about youth suicide and depression, how our city can prevent youth suicide, and the barriers they see to possible solutions.
“We heard loud and clear that youth need support from adults, but that adults can be so terrified of the topic, that they won’t talk about youth suicide or don’t know how to respond,” says Debbie Sault of the Ontario Native Women’s Association. “We definitely need to get the community talking about this issue more.”
Some of the recommendations that local youth provided on how Thunder Bay can prevent youth suicide included:
- Having more activities available for youth
- Having more accessible professional help available
- Having more traditional and cultural activities available for youth
“The information in this report will be so valuable to us as we move forward with collaborative efforts to enhance youth mental health over the next year,” says Sheila Hansen, Public Health Nurse at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
The Youth Voice Report was prepared by the Thunder Bay Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force. This Task Force is made up of a variety of local agencies collaborating to prevent youth suicide and to increase our community’s capacity to respond in such an event.
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Download a copy of the Youth Voice Report