Male-Inclusive Suicide Response Training Program

“One of the most meaningful outcomes to me was witnessing people come together to think and challenge themselves to really consider,
“How can I better support the men in my life who may be afraid of talking about their mental health?“”
Thalia Lang is a recipient of the Chapman and Innovation Grant for 2023-2024 academic year.
Project Description
In Canada, men are reported to have the highest rates of death by suicide and despite this heightened risk, there is a clear lack of male-inclusive mental health response programs nationally. In partnership with the Canadian Centre for Men and Families Vancouver (CCMF-V), free male-inclusive suicide response training program workshops were facilitated across British Columbia to mental health professionals, volunteers and community members. As a result of these trainings, 54 participants enhanced their skills in suicide prevention response and gained further insight into increasing social support for men at risk in their local communities.
Community Partner Description
The Canadian Centre for Men and Families (CCMF) is Vancouver’s hub for boys, men, fathers and families. CCMF proactively fosters healthy boys and men by filling critical gaps in men’s services that reduce male suicide, empower fathers undergoing separation and divorce, and help boys and men heal from trauma. CCMF supports, empowers and advocates for men before, during and after a crisis, in a safe, open, inclusive and supportive environment.
Lessons Learned
Thalia shared how completing a CCEL grant informed her approach to workshop design and facilitation:
“I learned how important it is to allow room to personalize different discussions about men’s mental health within suicide prevention training. Personalizing is a highlight because each community, workshop, and group of participants presented different life experiences, concerns, or reasons for attending.”
“I always say suicide prevention is not a one-size fits all approach, but translating it into real life practice is a whole new challenge. Completing this grant provided me with lessons about how to approach this challenge and consider how to design mental health workshops in a way where each person leaving could find something personally meaningful and valuable at the end of the day.”
Project Outcomes

Thalia highlighted how her project impacted communities and individuals on a personal level:
“Something I didn’t anticipate when planning out this project is how important, safe, and supportive these workshops would be for people with loved ones who had on-going struggles with suicidality. People from all walks of life were able to access these workshops and get a sense of how they could better navigate conversations about suicide and men’s mental health.”
“One of the most meaningful outcomes to me was witnessing people come together to think and challenge themselves to really consider, “How can I better support the men in my life who may be afraid of talking about their mental health?” or “How can I take care of myself while supporting a person who is suicidal?””
Advice for Future Applicants
For students considering applying for a CCEL Grant, Thalia offers some valuable advice:
“Writing a grant application can be overwhelming, so breaking it down into smaller steps helped me a lot. I would plan to work on one section at a time and give myself enough time before the deadline to revisit different parts of the grant application as needed.”
“Otherwise – having my research supervisor read over my grant application and provide guidance about how to write a more compelling application around the grant criteria helped tremendously. I’d recommend for students to get another set of eyes to look over their grant application – especially from someone who might not be familiar with your topic. A fresh perspective can often help with identifying areas which need to be explained better or highlighted more or any other number of things that you might miss [when writing a grant application].”
Information about CCEL Grants
If you are a student interested in leading your own UBC CCEL project, you can learn more about the application process here. Year round advising for grant projects and applications are available via Zoom or in-person at our office on the UBC Vancouver office from Monday to Friday. For more information about year round advising, please email us at community.learning@ubc.ca to book an appointment.