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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, November 3, 2016 | 4 Doctor believes all suicide deaths can be prevented by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff A University of Toronto professor of psychiatry is calling on health care in Canada to accept the idea all suicide deaths can be prevented and to act accordingly. Dr. Ian Dawe, chair of the Ontario Hospital Association's Suicide Prevention Standards Task Force, spoke at the Halton Suicide Prevention Coalition annual general meeting last Friday (Oct. 28). He noted neither Halton nor Ontario have succeeded in becoming "suicide-safe" places as they have yet to demonstrate a real commitment to suicide prevention and providing compassionate care and support to those bereaved by suicide. "A suicide-safe community is one that is passionate in the belief that suicides are in fact preventable and that we can and should do more to stop suicide," said Dawe. "It's based on the belief everyone has a fundamental right to have a future filled with hope and possibility. It's a community that acknowledges that, in times of emotional distress among Dr. Ian Dawe its citizens, those citizens have the right and access to the supports and services they require. They've developed action plans for how to manage those." Dawe said examining suicide data in Ontario is particularly discouraging because while other Mark Henick medical causes of death have decreased significantly over time (such as deaths from stroke, heart attacks, AIDS and cancer) the number of suicide deaths have remained more or less the same. The current death rate for suicide in Ontario is at 12.2 per 100,000 people. Dawe argued these numbers haven't changed because society has yet to decide to change them. In May 2015, the Province directed Dawe to chair a task force with the aim of creating suicide prevention standards for Ontario's hospitals. Previously Dawe said there was no standardized approach with each hospital organizing its own response to suicide prevention. As the group researched the topic, Dawe said they discovered when a goal was set to reduce the number of suicides in an area to zero progress was made. He pointed to the Henry Ford Health Care System in Michigan as one example. Between 1999-2000, this organization struggled with an enormous suicide death rate among its managed population, which Dawe said was nearly 92 per 100,000 people. The group decided this was unacceptable and organized a program of intense depression care, which ultimately drove these suicide numbers down by 82 per cent from 2000-07. The number of suicides within this population during 2008, 2009 and 2010 was 0. Dawe pointed out this Zero Suicide mentality was not an isolated incident. The United States Air Force had a similar problem in the 1990s and also implemented a program that drove their suicide numbers down. "There is a theme emerging here. When you decide to change the number... you change the number," said Dawe. "Until you decide to change the number you achieve what we have achieved so far in Ontario, which is... the number hasn't changed. It's basic quality improvement science." see Statistics on p.5 Dr. Marisa D'Angelo Dr. Shivani Saggar We offer full Family Dental Services in our new modern office in a calm and relaxing environment. We are a paperless office and use digital x-rays. We welcome kids, teens, adults and seniors. NEW PATIENTS are welcome and we will accommodate your dental emergencies. We will directly bill your insurance company and offer convenient evening and weekend appointments. 2525 Old Bronte Road, Suite #130 Palermo Professional Centre (ground floor) www.reflections-dental.ca 905-827-8700 Oakville Spa & WellneSS Centre Specials 1hr relaxation massage.............. $50 Mani & Pedi hot stone paraffin ... $40 Manicure with Shellac................ $25 Full set of sculpted nails............. $50 BONUS CARD Buy 10 services get 11th FREE must be of equal or lesser value does not include RMT or acupuncture services R0014067235 UndeR new OwneRship Re-Opening Christmas Gift Certificates Now Available Fill with biogel colour................. $35 649 Fourth Line & Speers Rd. · 905-901-0978 Open SUnDaYS 11 - 4pm, Monday - Friday 10 - 7:30 pm, Saturday 10 - 6pm