Suicide prevention strategy timeline too long, says Island Mothers Helping Mothers

The P.E.I. government needs to find a way to move more quickly on its suicide prevention strategy, says the group Island Mothers Helping Mothers.

The government plan calls for consultations with the public and key stakeholders with a report to be produced by the spring of 2018.

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"We are concerned about the timeline," said Island Mothers Helping Mothers co-founder Sarah Stewart-Clark. 

"We can very easily look at the strategies from other provinces and create a comprehensive report that will help guide the government in implementing a suicide prevention strategy program."

2 years too long

Completing the report by September of 2017 would allow for debate in the fall sitting of the legislature, said Stewart-Clark.

We're committed to ... the long-term mental health of Prince Edward Islanders.- Sarah Stewart-Clark

"If the intention truly is to implement change and implement a new suicide prevention strategy as soon as possible, I don't see any reason why this report could not be produced for the fall of 2017," said Stewart-Clark.

With the current timeline, any recommendations in the report wouldn't be able to be included in the province's 2018 budget.

"We simply do not believe that we can wait another two years before action," she said. 

'There's been some frustration'

Island Mothers Helping Mothers says they have been working on bringing together a group of mental health experts on a volunteer-basis to get the report done by September 2017.

"There's been some frustration," said Stewart-Clark.

"So there's been people step forward who are willing to work together with us on compiling the report."

She said the volunteer group would produce a report with the same outcomes the government outlined in its strategy.

"We're committed to creating a volunteer non-partisan group who's simply devoted to strategizing and developing what we see as a path forward for the long-term mental health of Prince Edward Islanders" she said.

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