Test Drive | Page 31

BY THE NUMBERS “I feel relieved, comforted that others are feeling how I feel and I’m not alone.” Suicide Bereavement The Suicide Bereavement program reaches out to individuals who have experienced a loss by suicide and need support with their grief. The program offers counselling, support groups and peer support that assist clients in their journey. CMHA hosts the Survivors of Suicide Day, an annual event where people who have faced a loss by suicide can come together and support one another while remembering the ones they have lost. BY THE NUMBERS: HIGHLIGHTS: 68 511 individuals served 143 individuals gathered at the 2013 Survivors hours of one-on-one counselling and indirect service of Suicide Day with 86.5% reporting they found the day’s activities beneficial to their grief process. Five new Suicide Bereavement Services volunteers have been recruited and trained. New volunteers shadow senior volunteers as a form of offering more training to new volunteers and giving senior volunteers the opportunity to be more involved in the program’s development. The Peer Match program has been revitalized to offer another way to support new mourners. The program matches a volunteer peer with a new client. 97% of drop-in group participants reported they felt supported by the facilitators and group members Annual Report to the Community 2013-2014 cmha-2013-ar.indd 29 29 14-06-23 1:05 PM