To create su***de safer communities we need everyone to feel comfortable talking about su***de and able to recognize those around them that may be struggling.
Check out our workshop Su***de Education & Awareness (SEA): For Adults to learn how you can start the conversation and support the people around you.
In this workshop we will discuss the stigma that surrounds su***de, the importance of normalizing conversations around the topic and how we can support those around us that may be struggling.
03/10/2026
Noticing that someone may be struggling and starting a conversation in a clear and direct way is an act of care and compassion.
Creating a space where someone can share their honest feelings and experiences and receive support lets the person know they are not alone.
03/03/2026
Run, walk, or just fundraise! Join our team, NEED2 Run Fast, and help us raise awareness and break the stigma of mental health and su***de.
We are currently registering for our next ASIST workshop taking place on April 20/21, 2026.
Learn the skills to help someone with thoughts of su***de and help contribute to a su***de safer community.
Equip your workplace or organization with the skills they need to support someone struggling with thoughts of su***de and help us create su***de safer communities!
Book one of NEED2's workshops for your group before April 30th and receive 20% off. Complete the inquiry form on our website, select your date and pay a non-refundable deposit before the end of April. The workshop can be schedule for anytime within the current year. Discount can only applied to the workshop fee, not including materials.
Only have a few staff to train? Register two or more individuals for one of our community ASIST workshops before the end of April and use code ASIST20 at check out to receive 20% off.
NEED2 was featured in the Times Colonist this weekend highlighting our in-school workshops and the power of normalizing open conversations about mental health and su***de.
Equip your workplace or organization with the skills they need to support someone struggling with thoughts of su***de and help us create su***de safer communities!
Book one of NEED2's workshops for your group before April 30th and receive 20% off. Complete the inquiry form on our website, select your date and pay a non-refundable deposit before the end of April. The workshop can be schedule for anytime within the current year. Discount can only applied to the workshop fee, not including materials.
Only have a few staff to train? Register two or more individuals for one of our community ASIST workshops before the end of April and use code ASIST20 at check out to receive 20% off.
We are currently registering for our next ASIST workshop taking place on March 2/3, 2026.
Learn the skills to help someone with thoughts of su***de and help contribute to a su***de safer community.
We are currently registering for our next ASIST workshop taking place on February 9/10, 2026.
Learn the skills to help someone with thoughts of su***de and help contribute to a su***de safer community.
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to NEED2 Suicide Prevention Education & Support:
Starting as crisis phone service in 1970, NEED as it was called then, began with a few concerned folks from the University of Victoria who wanted to start a phone line to help those thinking of su***de. A decade later, NEED had received over 100,000 phone calls.
1996 saw a school based program introduced called where volunteers would deliver presentations to middle and high schools bringing awareness to the topic of su***de. NEED2 was aiming for a whole schools program where the program would be implemented in each school; 29 classes, 700 students received the presentation that school year.
In 2002 a youth focused version of the crisis line was welcomed which provided some peer based support for youth who needed to access a crisis line. NEED later became a founding partner in developing 1 800 SU***DE in BC.
As the years progressed there was a shift in how people accessed support and more people were accessing the online world. In 2007 NEED partnered with Pacific Center Family Services connecting youth to professional counseling through an email counseling program. This shift in online presence helped launch www.youthspace.ca our online crisis and emotional chat service for youth under 30 across Canada. Youth were now able to chat online with volunteers for emotional and mental health support. This ability to chat in paired with a texting option added in 2012 made NEED one of the first in Canada to offer this type of service.
But in 2010 NEED ceased its operations as a crisis line when Nanaimo took over and became the Vancouver Island Crisis line. That same year NEED re branded into NEED2 focusing on the youth based programs which meant focusing more energy on volunteer recruitment for the chat service and the new Whole school program for Su***de Education & Awareness.
Almost 50 years later, NEED2 continues to educate and prevent deaths by su***de through its youth focused programs and services and plays a role in educating the community through workshops and presentations. As well, we offer a support group for su***de loss that meets monthly where a safe space is created for folks who have lost a loved one to su***de to connect with those who can share a similar story.
