Common guiding principles

From this understanding of suicidality, the joint strategy lays out 10 common guiding principles as follows:

1. Engaged and enabled leadership that know, and demonstrate concern for, CAF members’ and Veterans’ well-being and work to create strong support networks is critical to success;
2. Good mental health and well-being is critical to suicide prevention;
3. Unlimited Liability of military service implies a social contract between CAF members and Veterans, and the Government of Canada;
4. Suicide prevention will be integrated with other strategic efforts;
5. A sense of belonging and a sense of purpose protect against suicide;
6. A holistic approach is essential to suicide prevention;
7. Resilient CAF members make resilient Veterans;
8. Morale and welfare are incorporated into training, employment and transition systems;
9. Suicide prevention is a shared responsibility of individuals, health care providers, colleagues and leaders; and,
10. The well-being of the family is key to the well-being of CAF members and Veterans.