Big Changes for Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP)

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

Dedicated to reducing suicides in Canada

WATERLOO, ON, June 10, 2015 /CNW/ - We are excited to welcome Tana Nash to the CASP board as our new Executive Director and to re-locate the national office to the Waterloo Region. Tana brings a wealth of experience from her role as Executive Director for the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council (WRSPC) and President of the Ontario Association for Suicide Prevention. In the past year, Tana was awarded the CASP's President Award for advancing the work of suicide prevention nationally. We look forward to her contributions in helping CASP reach our objectives in reducing suicide across Canada.

"Tana has a proven track record in successful advocacy at all levels of government. In addition, she is already actively involved with the Mental Health Commission, the Public Health Agency, and the National Collaborative for Suicide Prevention. Tana's significant efforts in the past have been the reason she was awarded the CASP President's Award. All of us at CASP are excited to work with Tana and are appreciative of her significant expertise and energy." ~ Renée Ouimet, CASP President

Tana will continue to devote time to Waterloo Region in addition to her new role with CASP, and WRSPC has generously offered to host CASP's headquarters within their facility.

"As Chair of the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council we are thrilled to collaborate with CASP. This community has been on a journey of hope and healing with many important steps along the way. This partnership is the next step to making our community at large suicide safer." ~ Kim Hewitt, WRSPC Chair

For over 30 years CASP has been dedicated to reducing suicide rates and the devastating impact on society by supporting Canadians with important information about suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. We have also developed the CASP BluePrint for the Canadian National Suicide Prevention Strategy, created a stronger digital presence and many resource materials and are working on implementing a national suicide crisis line network. We will continue to lobby the Canadian government to initiate the implementation of the strategy with cooperation across all levels of government and integration with Health Canada's Healthy Living Strategy with Tana Nash at the helm.

We would like to thank Tim Wall who has served as CASP's Executive Director for over seven years. His tireless efforts and passion in suicide prevention has had a profound impact and was made possible by the generous support of Klinic in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he held the role of Director of Counselling Services until his retirement. Klinic was also kind enough to host our headquarters for the past eight years. Thank-you Tim and Klinic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) challenged all member states, including Canada and the United States, to reduce their suicide rates by 10% before 2020 in their Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020, a challenge we are actively pursuing.

If you would like to help CASP in reducing suicide rates across Canada, please consider becoming a member or supporting us through a cash donation.

SOURCE Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

Image with caption: "Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CNW Group/Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150610_C6475_PHOTO_EN_17839.jpg

Tana Nash, CASP Executive Director at [email protected] or by phone at 519-884-1470 ext. 2143; Renee Ouimet, CASP President at [email protected] or at 613-737-7791 ext. 124