Hockey Sherbrooke teams up with JEVI on suicide prevention
JEVI, the Sherbrooke-based suicide prevention organization, joined forces with Hockey Sherbrooke on Monday morning to spread the word that, “suicide prevention is a team sport.” “We know that the natural tendency of people who are suicidal is not necessarily to come knocking at our door,” said Marie-ève Bernier, a JEVI trainer who will be working with Hockey Sherbrooke on a new partnership that will see members of the organization trained as “sentinels” who can better recognize at-risk individuals and provide referrals or more immediate assistance. “It is essential to us for people on the ground to be our eyes and ears as to who is vulnerable,” the trainer added.
The Sentinel program provides individuals with training to recognize signs of potentially suicidal behavior in their surroundings and connects him or her with the tools necessary to refer others to the appropriate resources. Bernier compared the seven hour course to providing workplace CPR training in terms
of moving specialized knowledge into the hands of those best placed to help.
“Psychological distress is something we face every year,” said former NHL goaltender Jocelyn Thibeault, who is serving as the honourary chairperson of the new partnership. Speaking both from his experience as a professional hockey player and his work with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Thibeault said that the pressure to perform in all parts of life can weigh heavily on players.
“We see it at every level,” the chairperson said. “This is a part of hockey, it is a part of life, and we have to improve the situation.”
Bernier noted that although both men and women commit suicide, roughly 78 per cent of suicides are committed by men. That in mind, she said that reaching out to a vulnerable population through the medium of Hockey has the potential to save a large number of lives.
“We want to tell men that asking for help is a sign of strength,” the trainer said. “We want to tell our brothers, our coworkers, our sons, husbands and fathers that they are important to us and that suicide is not an option.”
Jean Des Rosiers, Chair of the board of directors for Hockey Sherbrooke, likened hockey in Quebec to a religion and said that pairing the work of JEVI with the coaches and teams that already exist out there for players stands to create a massive support network for individuals who may or may not show just how isolated and overwhelmed they feel.
“At Hockey Sherbrooke we think it is not just normal but essential that we integrate the ideas of suicide prevention into our training,” Des Rosiers said, encouraging other sports organizations to take a similar approach.
According to JEVI, an average of 50 people commit suicide in the Eastern Townships every year.