For Community, by Community: Introducing HOPE: Healing, Outreach, Promotion, Education
When it comes to suicide prevention and life promotion, our community has a powerful resource: HOPE. More than a word, Hope is a collaborative initiative led by a steering committee of local leaders and supported by a Community Coordinator. Guided by the proven Roots of Hope framework, this initiative is working to foster resilience, connection, and life-affirming change in our region.
HOPE stands for:
- Healing – supporting those with lived experience.
- Outreach – guiding our services and resources supporting individuals currently navigating thoughts of suicide.
- Promotion – honouring the life-affirming perspectives held by Indigenous communities.
- Education – offering continued learning and awareness across the Prairie Mountain Health region.
Together, these pillars create a strong, community-led movement. Guided by the Roots of Hope framework, the Hope initiative works to reduce stigma, build resilience, and support life at every stage.
Roots of Hope is a community-led suicide prevention and life promotion model being used across Canada. Developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), it provides a flexible, evidence-informed framework for communities to build local suicide prevention strategies.
The goal of Roots of Hope is to reduce the impact of suicide by addressing stigma, increasing awareness about mental illness, and promoting connected, supportive communities.
This made-in-Canada model was informed by global research and expert consultation and is adaptable to any community setting. It is structured around five pillars of action and thirteen guiding principles:
Five Pillars of Action
- Specialized Supports
- Training and Networks
- Means Safety
- Public Awareness
- Research and Evaluation
Thirteen Guiding Principles
- Comprehensive
- Collaboration and Coordination
- Culturally Appropriate
- Recovery-Oriented
- Evidence-Informed
- Measurement and Evaluation
- Lived Experience
- Flexible
- Strengths-Based
- Spanning the Continuum
- Community-Centred
- Sustainable
- Innovative
In 2024, the Province of Manitoba adopted the Roots of Hope framework, providing funding to each health authority to support implementation. Prairie Mountain Health created a steering committee, community assessments were initiated, and Kelly Lewis joined as Community Coordinator to lead this work in January 2025.
We are now working to embed the Roots of Hope model within existing networks and committees, as well as guide future goals in suicide prevention and life promotion throughout the region.
Current Groups Involved
- SPIN (Suicide Prevention Implementation Network) – Regional
- Mental Wellness and Suicide Prevention Committee – Regional
- Westman Mental Wellness and Suicide Prevention Association – Local
If you’re interested in being involved in the HOPE initiative and adopting the Roots of Hope model in your community, want to learn more, or would like to connect with others involved in suicide prevention and life promotion, please reach out to:
Kelly Lewis
Hope Community Coordinator
[email protected]
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue the rollout of HOPE across the Prairie Mountain Health region.
September is World Suicide Prevention Month. In recognition of this important month, the regional groups SPIN and MWSPC will be hosting events and activities on Wednesday, September 10th across the region. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
