In an effort to get help for people considering suicide community members across the region are developing a strategy to address shortfalls.
Paula Reaume-Zimmer is with the Canadian Mental Health Association. She says groups invited to the conference include health and social sectors, fire and police officials, and social housing.
"Is it a one stop in the community that anyone can go to that any of these providers can tap into and access help," says Reaume-Zimmer. "So it's really to bring together groups to identify what's missing if you were one of those providers in the community and what would you look for and for us to commit to putting those in place."
The most recent numbers from the Erie St. Clair LHIN region show 87 people took their lives in 2010, and 63 people in 2011, but Reaume-Zimmer says there's a grey area for circumstances like overdoses where it's impossible to tell if it's a suicide.
The two-day conference, focused primarily on the Erie St. Clair LHIN region, is being held at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre in Chatham and wraps-up today.
