Sentinel networks
Background
Suicide prevention sentinel networks help create a safety net around people at risk of suicide. It’s one of the measures of the national suicide prevention strategy Stratégie nationale en prévention du suicide 2022-2026 (in French only).
This suicide prevention strategy aims to prevent death by suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation. Sentinel networks complement the initiatives deployed by the CISSS des Laurentides in collaboration with the Centre de prévention du suicide Faubourg, as well as community partners. See the regional suicide prevention plan (in French only).
In the Laurentians, sentinel networks are developed in collaboration with the Centre de prévention du suicide Faubourg, the organization Écoute agricole, the Réseau d'éclaireurs en santé psychologique (Pathfinder network) and the Direction de santé publique du CISSS des Laurentides.
Sentinel networks focus on settings frequented by adults, such as workplaces, community organizations, and vocational training centres.
The sentinel's role?
A sentinel is an adult who wishes to get involved in suicide prevention. They are not a professional counsellor. A sentinel can be a colleague, manager, volunteer, merchant or any other person who may come into contact with an individual at risk of suicide.
Following a 7-hour training session the sentinel:
- Recognizes signs of distress, checks for the presence of suicidal thoughts, and refers the person to specialized resources.
How to become a sentinel?
- Send an email to express your interest in becoming a sentinel to: sentinelle@cpsfaubourg.org. Provide your contact information, the name of your organization, your role within it, your reasons for becoming a sentinel, and the training date that interests you (from the schedule provided).
- Complete the pretraining form that you will receive by email.
- If you’re eligible, register for the training session using the link provided in the email.
Required training?
The free, 7-hour training session, Acting as a Sentinel for Suicide Prevention, is offered in person by Centre de prévention du suicide Faubourg.
The next training session is:
- February 3, 2026 (Saint-Jérôme)
- Agricultural Sector Edition - Registration (change the language setting in the top right corner)
For more information on the training (in French only)
Support offered to sentinels
Sentinels are supported by a counsellor from the Centre de prévention du suicide Faubourg. Its telephone intervention hotline is available 24/7.
When there is no risk of suicide, a liaison officer from the CISSS des Laurentides belonging to the Réseau d'éclaireurs en santé psychologique (Pathfinder network), provides sentinels with support. This liaison officer can, for example, answer non-urgent questions and offer enhancement workshops.
Sentinels are well supported! They are part of a network and can rely on the strength of the group and on networking!
The difference between a pathfinder and a sentinel?
Pathfinders are community members engaged in promoting psychological well-being through various actions. Want to know more about the Réseau d'éclaireurs en santé psychologique (Pathfinders Network for Psychological Health)? Click here!
Sentinels are also engaged community members, but their specific goal is to intervene in suicide prevention.