$500,000 donation for
ground-breaking suicide prevention research initiative
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 17, 2019 /CNW
Telbec/ - Bell Let's Talk today announced a $500,000 donation to the Centre for Research and
Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices
(CRISE) at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Part of
UQAM's "100 millions d'idées" fundraising campaign, the donation
will be used to develop a first of its kind project aimed at
preventing suicide by making optimal use of today's digital
communications tools.
Martine Turcotte, Bell's Vice
Chair, Québec, joined Magda Fusaro,
Rector of UQAM; Pierre Bélanger, Executive Director, Fondation de
l'UQAM; Jean-Marc Eustache, Chair of
the Fondation de l'UQAM; and CRISE Director Brian Mishara to announce the donation today at
UQAM.
"Bell Let's Talk is proud to once again support the development
of breakthrough mental health research in Québec with this
world-first CRISE project in suicide prevention," said Ms.
Turcotte. "Building on our longstanding partnership with UQAM, this
innovative work will help improve the lives of young people who
struggle with mental illness here in Québec and far beyond."
Magda Fusaro emphasized that UQAM is a major player in the
field of health and well-being, thanks primarily to the drive of
the Department of Psychology and the School of Social
Work. "Without a doubt, the work carried out by CRISE
researchers, whose expertise is recognized both nationally and
internationally, has positioned the university as a leader in
action-focused research in suicide prevention. However, in order to
stay on the cutting edge, UQAM needs partners like Bell Let's Talk
that endorse the same engagement values to help advance suicide
prevention knowledge and intervention. I would like to extend my
thanks to our partner for their support of CRISE, which will no
doubt spur new findings that will have a major impact on
society."
"More and more, leaders in suicide prevention are using digital
communications in their work, and online chats and texting have
become the communication methods of choice for intervention,
particularly with young people. However, we don't yet have
empirical or conclusive data indicating how to most effectively
intervene using these types of technologies," said Brian Mishara, an authority in the field.
"Thanks to the donation from Bell Let's Talk, CRISE will be able to
launch large-scale research projects to identify the best
intervention methods for reducing the risk of suicide among
vulnerable people."
Bell Let's Talk Day is January
30
Everyone is invited to join the conversation on
Bell Let's Talk Day by sending messages of support across multiple
platforms to drive awareness and action in mental health.
Bell will donate 5 cents to
Canadian mental health programs for each of the following
interactions on Bell Let's Talk Day, at no extra cost to
participants beyond what they would normally pay their service
provider for online or phone access:
- Talk: Every mobile call and every long distance call made by
Bell wireless and phone customers
- Text: Every text message sent by Bell wireless customers
- Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring
the special Bell Let's Talk emoji, and Bell Let's Talk Day video
view at Twitter.com/Bell_LetsTalk
- Facebook: Every view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video at
Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
- Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at
Instagram.com/bell_letstalk
- Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and video
view
To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Total Bell Let's Talk Day interactions since the first event in
2011 stand at 867,449,649 and are expected to exceed 1 billion on
January 30. Bell's funding commitment
for mental health, including the company's donations based on Bell
Let's Talk engagement and its original $50-million donation to launch the initiative, is
now $93,423,628.80 and expected to
surpass $100 million on January 30.
About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk mental
health initiative is focused on 4 key action pillars: Anti-stigma,
Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Since its
launch in September 2010, Bell Let's
Talk has partnered with more than 900 organizations providing
mental health services throughout Canada, including major donations
to hospitals, universities and other care and research
organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
About CRISE, a pioneering and internationally renowned
research centre
CRISE was founded in 1997 by Brian Mishara, a professor in the Department of
Psychology at UQAM. At that time, no infrastructure was in place to
promote knowledge transfer between researchers interested in the
problem of suicide and professionals from organizations working in
suicide prevention. By promoting the development and distribution
of knowledge by more than 50 researchers, practitioners and
students, and thanks to support from numerous clinical, educational
and correctional organizations, CRISE has become a leading research
centre in the field of suicide prevention. The Centre conducts
projects that have earned it recognition from professionals in the
field and from media in Québec, Canada and abroad.
About the "100 millions d'idées" major fundraising
campaign
Bell's donation is part of UQAM's "100 millions
d'idées" campaign, the university's largest ever fundraising
effort, which has the goal of raising $100
million. This campaign aims to help UQAM complete its
ambitious projects and will give its teachers, students and
researchers the means to explore and achieve their initiatives to
drive the university into the 21st century. UQAM has ideas for the
future and it needs responsible, committed partners like Bell to
make them a reality.
Media inquiries:
Vanessa Damha
Bell
514-870-6663
vanessa.damha@bell.ca
@Bell_LetsTalk
@Bell_News
Cyrille Batalla
Service des communications de l'UQAM
514-987-3000, ext. 7975
batalla.cyrille@uqam.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada