11 of Us Campaign Extension

Approximately one year ago in September 2019, Living Hope launched an awareness campaign called 11 of Us. Unlike other mental health campaigns, the goal of 11 of Us isn’t to target those in need of help, but rather the general public. Its main goals are to raise awareness about suicide, make the public familiar with key warning signs that someone may be considering suicide, and highlight the resources available to respond to this need. 

In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, 11 of Us refreshed it’s messaging for billboards and social media, encouraging and reminding Edmontonians to check in on one another, especially in times of increased uncertainty and stress. The main message of the campaign remains consistent, but it is this flexibility to respond to real world circumstances that continues to make the campaign relevant in current times. 

The campaign website (11ofus.ca) continues to provide a homebase and serve as a resource for sharing information about suicide and where to get help. It  also offers information about sponsored suicide prevention training and education available in Edmonton. Courses available include LivingWorks Start, Applied suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), safeTALK, QPR, Trauma Informed Care, and more. 

To date the website has been visited by over 35,000 users. The reach of the campaign is much greater when including those who have seen messaging on billboards, social media and other advertising but not necessarily visited the website. These metrics exceed the original targets for the campaign and we hope to continue this trend with an additional phase of the campaign coming soon.