DAOD 5017-1, Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Overview
3. Prevention
4. Intervention
5. Postvention
6. Compliance and Consequences
7. Responsibilities
8. References

1. Introduction

Date of Issue: 2025-03-17

Effective Date: 2025-03-17

Application: This DAOD is an order that applies to officers and non-commissioned members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF members) and a directive that applies to employees of the Department of National Defence (DND employees) who act as managers or supervisors of CAF members.

Supersession: CFAO 19-44, Suicide Prevention

Approval Authority: Chief Military Personnel (CMP)

Enquiries: Administrative Response Centre (ARC)

2. Overview

Context

2.1 Suicide prevention is a priority for the Government of Canada. There is no single or straightforward cause of suicide. Therefore, no single program is sufficient to reduce risk of suicide for CAF members. Rather, action is required on a wide range of fronts to build resilience, treat mental and physical illness, open lines of communication and support well-being.

2.2 The comprehensive and multidimensional suicide prevention strategy of the CAF is grounded in continuous improvement and total health and wellness practices. The effort to better understand factors influencing suicide and to refine suicide prevention is ongoing. Suicidal ideation itself, and mental health conditions which may be associated with it, can be identified and treated in many cases; however, with our current understanding of suicide susceptibility, not everyone who completes or attempts suicide can be identified in advance.

2.3 The CF Health Services (CFHS) has a key role in developing and delivering suicide prevention education and training programs. CFHS delivers health care including mental health and psychosocial services to CAF members. As such, the Surgeon General:

1. oversees the professional and technical aspects of suicide prevention, intervention and postvention;
2. analyses data on CAF suicides and reported suicide attempts, and data collected from mental health service visits, as well as review of academic and military partner research in related fields, in order to continually improve services and supports to the CAF;
3. ensures the direction and clinical treatment of those with mental illness; and
4. exercises control over all professional-technical matters and clinical standards pertaining to the provision of mental health and psychosocial services.

2.4 The Royal Canadian Chaplain Service plays a key role in providing training and support services for suicide prevention such as:

1. receiving and maintaining suicide prevention training;
2. providing duty chaplain services 24 hours 7 days a week;
3. continuing ongoing development and implementation of Spiritual Resilience Training and Education, and suicide prevention activities;
4. supporting the chain of command in notification of next of kin in cases of death by suicide of a CAF member;
5. providing spiritual care, grief counselling and religious services to bereaved families, units and CAF wider community; and
6. Conduct the Sentinel Program CAF wide.

Objective

2.5 The objective of this DAOD is to:

1. provide direction to CAF members and the DND employees who supervise CAF members in the three distinct areas of focus: prevention, intervention and postvention;
2. ensure the CAF continues to reduce stigma, educate, engage, and support CAF members at all levels; and
3. ensure leaders facilitate awareness of and access to education and supports.

3. Prevention

General

3.1 Suicide prevention refers to activities aimed at:

1. enhancing mental health literacy;
2. enhancing coping strategies;
3. strengthening protective factors;
4. reducing stigma and barriers to care; and
5. addressing risk factors that can lead to suicide, suicide attempts and suicide ideation, collectively known as “suicidality”.

3.2 Educational programs and awareness campaigns are key components of suicide prevention.

Basic Level Prevention

3.3 At its most basic level, prevention may include listening, showing empathy and assisting someone to get appropriate help. The CAF members in certain roles have an increased likelihood of encountering individuals at risk, such as Military Police (MP) and chaplains, and are often referred to as “gatekeepers.” Gatekeepers must be offered specific suicide prevention training for their occupational group. Many others contribute to suicide prevention. Examples include:

1. Transition Group peer support to CAF members with operational stress injuries (OSI); and
2. the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services Support to CAF members and their families.

Role of Leaders and Supervisors

3.4 Leaders and supervisors have a central role in encouraging and facilitating access to mental health care and supports. Leaders play a special role in monitoring and awareness of the health and well-being of their subordinates. The climate that leaders set with respect to attitudes towards mental health care can influence care-seeking for mental health problems. The routine mental health education program of the CAF must establish:

1. the link between good leadership and the reduction of work-related stress; and
2. the role leaders play in supporting direct access to mental health care.

3.5 The CFHS plays a significant role in prevention through services such as:

1. screening;
2. ensuring adequate health care resources;
3. provision of health care and wellness supports;
4. training of care providers;
5. investigation and analysis of suicides;
6. research of suicide prevention in a military context; and
7. liaison with international and academic partners to leverage:
   1. expertise in postvention;
   2. data analysis on CAF suicides and reported suicide attempts; and
   3. data collected from mental health service visits.

4. Intervention

Attempt to Prevent Suicide from a Life Crisis

4.1 Suicide intervention attempts to prevent a life crisis or mental illness injury from leading to death from suicide. Health care providers are best positioned to care for CAF members who are at high risk. The CFHS must provide specialized mental health services and supports that are accessible by all. During silent hours, civilian health services are to be used. Duty chaplains from each base must be available 24 hours 7 days a week to:

1. provide a first line of support to CAF members, or family members with suicidal thoughts, or both; and
2. ensure an adequate support plan which facilitates access to internal and external resources.

Role of Leaders and Supervisors

4.2 When leaders or supervisors observe, or are made aware of, concerning changes in a behaviour of a subordinate, they are encouraged to raise these concerns with the individual in question and, if appropriate, involve the commanding officer (CO), Chaplaincy Services, and local CFHS Clinic. It is essential to respect the dignity and privacy of the CAF member by:

1. treating all personal information with discretion, using or sharing it only on a job-related need-to-know basis, or disclosing it only as required by law; and
2. acting in accordance with the Privacy Act.

4.3 Leaders or supervisors should ensure a CAF member has access to appropriate supports when their leader or supervisor is aware that the CAF member is experiencing significant work or non-work stressors (examples include disciplinary or criminal processes, financial concerns, relationship difficulties, addiction issues, trauma, legal issues, diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, significant medical diagnosis or recent return from an operational deployment).

4.4 Leaders and supervisors must ensure that any CAF member who is believed to be a danger to themselves or others is assessed by the CAF health care personnel, or at a civilian emergency facility if the CAF medical resources are not available. If these or other actions have failed and a CAF member does not consent to being escorted to a CAF health care provider or a civilian emergency facility, MP should be contacted or consulted. In the case of imminent danger, emergency response services must be called for direct intervention (911).

Role of MP

4.5 MP may be contacted if a person is experiencing a mental health crisis where there is an imminent public safety concern. MPs will provide an appropriate police response tailored to each unique situation within the parameters of their authority to act.

5.Postvention

General

5.1 Postvention includes actions taken after a suicide, such as providing support and care for the family members of the deceased, friends, caregivers, unit members, peers, work colleagues, those involved in suicide investigations and persons who found the deceased, as well as more formal investigations (i.e., Medical Professional Technical Suicide Review reports and boards of inquiry).

Support for a CAF Member

5.2 A CO must implement targeted postvention activities at the unit level, to support and assist those most closely involved with the CAF member and other affected personnel. At such times, a CO can consult with their senior medical authority to discuss the situation and possible courses of action. The CO can foster a climate that supports the individuals involved by simply acknowledging the event, normalizing reactions, and reinforcing healthy coping strategies. The CAF members who are experiencing distress following a suicide or attempted suicide of a colleague or friend should be encouraged to seek additional support.

Support for Community

5.3 Information about resources should be made available by the CO to family and friends with the purpose of mitigating the psychological impact of a suicide.

5.4 A CO should:

1. be aware of safe media reporting guidelines when responding to media queries following a suicide (as per DAOD 2008-2, Media Relations and Public Announcements) to mitigate the risk to others who may be vulnerable to suicide and promote help-seeking behaviour;
2. seek guidance from Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) to respond to media queries before commenting publicly, as the circumstances of incident reporting may vary; and
3. safeguard the privacy of the deceased CAF member and affected persons.

5.5 A CO and a PAO should consult with Military Police or a BOI concerning any ongoing sudden death investigation. Military police will liaise with civilian authorities as required (such as a coroner or civilian police).

6. Compliance and Consequences

Compliance

6.1 CAF members and DND employees who act as managers or supervisors of CAF members, must comply with this DAOD. Should clarification of the policies or instructions set out in this DAOD be required, CAF members and DND employees who act as managers or supervisors of CAF members may seek direction through their chain of command or channel of communication, as appropriate. Military leaders and DND employees who act as managers or supervisors of CAF members have the primary responsibility for and means of ensuring the compliance of their CAF members with this DAOD.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

6.2 CAF members and DND employees who act as managers or supervisors of CAF members, are accountable to their respective military leaders and supervisors for any failure to comply with the direction set out in this DAOD. Non-compliance with this DAOD may result in administrative action, including administrative or disciplinary action, or both for a CAF member, and the imposition of disciplinary measures, for a DND employee who act as managers or supervisors of CAF members. Non-compliance may also result in the imposition of liability on the part of His Majesty in right of Canada, CAF members and DND employees who act as managers or supervisors of CAF members.

7. Responsibilities

Responsibility Table

7.1 The following table identifies the responsibilities associated with this DAOD:

8. References

Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Policy DAOD

• Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention Act
• Privacy Act
• QR&O Chapter 9, Reserve Service
• QR&O Chapter 15, Release
• QR&O Chapter 16, Leave
• QR&O Chapter 21, Summary Investigations and Boards of Inquiry
• QR&O Chapter 34, Medical Services
• DAOD 1000-7, Policy Framework for Military Personnel Management
• DAOD 5017-0, Mental Health and Wellness

Other References

• DAOD 2008-2, Media Relations and Public Announcements
• DAOD 5003-0, Restrictions on Duty and Individual Limitations
• DAOD 5012-0, Harassment Prevention and Resolution
• DAOD 5018-2, Report of Injuries and Exposure to Toxic Substances
• DAOD 5044-1, Families
• DAOD 5044-4, Family Violence
• DAOD 7002-0, Boards of Inquiry and Summary Investigations
• DAOD 7002-1, Boards of Inquiry
• DAOD 7002-3, Investigative Matters and References
• DAOD 7002-4, Examination of Witnesses
• CFAO 1-1, Canadian Forces Administrative Orders
• CFAO 15-2, Release – Regular Force
• CFAO 22-4, Security and Military Police Services
• CFAO 24-1, Casualties – Reporting and Administration
• CANFORGEN 006/23 CMP005/23 , Use and Disclosure of Personal Health Information
• A-PP-005-LVE/AG-001, Canadian Forces Leave Policy Manual
• Working Together to Prevent Suicide in Canada: The Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention
• Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence - Canada.ca
• Suicide and Suicide Prevention in the Canadian Armed Forces
• Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada Joint Suicide Prevention Strategy
• CMP Instruction 03/05 Health Promotion
• CF H Svcs Gp Instruction 5020-20, Disclosure of Personal Health Information
• CF H Svcs Gp Instruction 5100-11, Medical Professional Technical Suicide Review
• CF H Svcs Gp Instruction 5100-13, Suicide and Attempted Suicide – Initial Response Review, and Reporting
• CDS Guidance to Commanding Officers and their Leadership Teams
• Individual Training and Education Instruction 2002-2, Appointment and Responsibilities of Designated Training Authorities
• Individual Training and Education Instruction 7001-2, Individual Training and Education Requirements, Maintenance of Qualifications and Recertification
• Individual Training and Education Instruction 7002-1, Functional Centres of Expertise
• Media Guidelines for Reporting on Suicide: 2017 Update of the Canadian Psychiatric Association Policy Paper
• Report on the 2016 Mental Health Expert Panel on Suicide Prevention in the Canadian Armed Forces
• Reporting Suicides in the Media
• Canadian Forces Moral and Welfare Services, website
• Canadian Psychiatric Association
• Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS)
• Canadian Armed Forces Sentinel Program (available in English only)
• Postvention Guide for CAF Leadership
• Suicide Prevention and Intervention Guide for CAF Leadership - Canada.ca