Mental fitness and suicide awareness

From: National Defence

Supervisors or leaders in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) community have a responsibility to promote good health and well-being. As a leader, you also need to be aware of suicide and mental health injuries. Unfortunately many CAF members may not feel comfortable with reaching out because of barriers and stigmas associated with mental health injuries.

Mental fitness is a state of well-being in which a person is psychologically and emotionally strong.  Being mentally fit means a person is able to effectively cope with the demands and stressors of the military lifestyle. Mental fitness also goes by many names such as “mental toughness”, psychological readiness, military resilience, mental health, and psychological resiliency.

What is the “Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness” course

The “Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness” course prepares CAF supervisors to be aware of suicide and to practice suicide intervention.  It’s a tool to improve your knowledge about mental fitness and suicide and to develop valuable life and leadership skills. This course will also allow you to practice suicide intervention using industry-tested models such as the “Ask, Care, Escort” (ACE) Intervention Model. 

The “Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness” course is made up of 6 one-hour modules:

• Module 1: Mental fitness 101
• Module 2: Mental injuries and stigma: Beliefs and attitudes
• Module 3: Mental fitness exercises
• Module 4: Suicide awareness
• Module 5: The “Ask, Care, Escort” (ACE) Model
• Module 6: Mental fitness and leadership

Who can enroll in the “Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness” course

The “Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness” course is designed for CAF members who are in leadership or supervisor roles.

For more information about the “Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness” course, contact your Health Promotion Office.