Stephen VanSlyke, RN MN

Teaching Professor
University of New Brunswick (UNB) Faculty of Nursing

Member of Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses

Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-vanslyke-3732a75/

Affiliated Websites:

UNB Faculty of Nursing: https://www.unb.ca/fredericton/nursing/ 
Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses: https://www.cfmhn.ca/ 
Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC): https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/

Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick

Stephen’s Spotlight

CHA Learning and the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) are proud to spotlight one of the many healthcare professionals across Canada working to make mental health and suicide prevention a greater priority in healthcare settings.

This spotlight reinforces the importance of our Talking About Suicide course—a quick-to-complete micro eLearning course created in partnership with family physicians, nurses, suicide prevention experts, and people with lived and living experience to help healthcare providers build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to engage in suicide-related conversations with their clients.

In the spotlight below, you’ll learn about Stephen’s personal and professional journey: what led him to focus on mental health and suicide prevention, the initiatives he has been part of, and the meaningful lessons he has gained along the way. His story offers insight, hope, and a powerful reminder that every conversation matters.

Stephen was an integral part of the Talking About Suicide advisory committee, sharing his insights and expertise as an emergency room psychiatric nurse and a teaching professor.

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In Stephen’s Own Words:

I started working on an acute mental health unit as a student over 40 years ago, and I have never regretted choosing a career in mental health nursing. It’s led to experiences in community work, administration, and education. I’ve taken advanced education in DBT and family nursing, and completed a master’s degree in nursing. My work with clients with Borderline Personality Disorder shifted my understanding and appreciation for people living with suicidal ideation. I now have a much more person-focused understanding of how varied the experiences of people are under the umbrella of the word suicide.

Throughout most of my career, I have remained engaged in clinical practice. For the past 20 years, this work has been as an emergency room psychiatric nurse. As I reflect on my engagement working with people experiencing mental health challenges, I realize that I have been well-supported by colleagues, family, and my spiritual faith. Of all mental health challenges, I’m drawn to understand and support people who consider ending their lives by suicide. For me, there is nothing to fear. I’m drawn to the inquiry and have developed the skills to respond and plan for safety. Instilling hope where there was none is a compelling reason for me to remain engaged as a mental health nurse.

For the past 35 years, I’ve been working as a Teaching Professor as I seek to instill values and abilities to help others especially in the areas of mental health and mental illness. This work includes publication, service in my community, and networking with colleagues in education, with the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), and in practice, with the Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses (CFMHN) and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). Through my academic work, I valued the opportunities to see how mental health services are delivered in other parts of Canada, Sweden, and India.

I believe mental health is a societal matter. It’s also a brain disorder. As we learn more about the brain and the influences of trauma, stress, and environmental pressures, my expectation is that stigma will further diminish. I see unlimited opportunities to support people’s recovery journeys and to reduce stigma around mental health challenges and suicide. I hope to support a new generation as they enter the healthcare workforce, and that they will continue my advocacy for changes in care that will benefit people living with mental health challenges, including suicide.

Tell Us About Your Professional Experience & Work in Mental Health…

Question: Why do healthcare providers need to be able to talk about suicide with their clients?

The Talking About Suicide course includes a section that addresses the fear some clinicians have that exploring suicide requires complex training, and that asking questions may somehow make someone act on their suicidal ideation. It acknowledges the tight timeframes healthcare professionals work within, yet highlights the traction a therapeutic relationship can generate and the importance of asking direct questions about suicide.

Everyone is touched by suicide and develops attitudes and mindsets about people who are suicidal. Some of what we come to understand is based on myths, what we pick up in the media, and our personal experiences. The course debunks common myths, offers credible resources, shares personal stories by video, and provides simple evidence-based tips for healthcare providers to assess and respond to people who are suicidal.

Question: Why did you choose to join the Talking About Suicide Advisory Committee?

As a nurse in the community, I’m acutely aware that suicide claims the lives of far too many people in Canada. Many survivors of suicide live with chronic suicide feelings, often due to trauma and adverse childhood events. Other at-risk groups include people with chronic pain, mental health challenges, and those who use substances. Nurses work closely with these vulnerable groups. My expectation in serving on the Advisory Committee is to empower nurses, physicians, and others to talk more about suicide. If one life is saved by a healthcare worker intentionally reaching out about suicide, it’s a win. This course will make a difference for those suffering in silence under the burden of suicidal ideation.

Question: How did the recent content refresh found within the Talking About Suicide course improve the training?

The Advisory Committee included people with lived experience, and their voices were valued as experts in the development of content. The course also incorporates personal stories shared by video, highlighting the simple ways that healthcare professionals can listen to people’s complex stories to collaborate in ways that instill hope. This can be done without worrying about saying the “right” or “wrong” thing and without the pressure to ‘fix’ people.

Question: What would you say to professional colleagues or personal contacts about this training?

In spite of substantial advances in recent decades, the stigma around mental health challenges, including suicide, continues to interrupt help-seeking. People who feel trapped, without hope, experiencing loss, facing intersecting social determinants of health, or navigating unique circumstances may feel comfortable bringing up their physical health symptoms yet still withhold details of their mental health challenges. My hope is that my colleagues consider the value of inquiring intentionally about suicide in all health encounters and across all demographics. The course seeks to support this shift in mindset.

Question: What would you most like to highlight about the Talking About Suicide training?

The course debunks the myth that raising the topic of suicide with a client will cause that person to become suicidal. It challenges us to question whether following up on a verbal message of hopelessness or a non-verbal message of exhaustion will truly open ‘Pandora’s Box’ in a way that derails a healthcare professional’s schedule, or that a person will ‘go off’ in a way that we cannot manage. It empowers those of us in healthcare to do our best to listen and to support people suffering with suicide.

Question: What inspired you to focus on mental health and suicide prevention? Was there a specific moment or experience that shaped your direction?

Understanding the misery felt by people with Borderline Personality Disorder was a turning point for me. Realizing that the individual does not set out to be manipulative or to feign suicide was a transformation in my thinking. Having the tools and clinical support through DBT was a game changer for me.

Vision for the Field…

Question: Looking forward, what changes or innovations would you like to see in mental health care?

In a society faced with a host of pressures fueled by the intersection of social determinants of health, I believe that population health supports which strengthen society’s understanding of mental health are critical. Physical fitness has become an industry in Western culture. My hope is that mental fitness will be embraced. With this, people will have improved coping resources and better resilience in all aspects of their lives.

Question: What do you think needs to happen on a systemic level to improve mental health outcomes and improve access to mental health care?

If there were better community resources that people were more aware of, and that were more accessible, my hope is that clinicians and citizens would be able to direct people with mental health challenges away from emergency rooms to settings that are better suited to addressing their needs.

Question: If you could implement one major change in the healthcare system tomorrow, what would it be?

If I could implement one major change in the healthcare system tomorrow, it would be to ensure that mental health is treated with the same urgency, funding, and integration as physical health – embedded into every part of the system rather than siloed.

Personal Insights & Advice…

Question: If you could give one piece of advice to healthcare professionals who want to improve mental health outcomes, what would it be?

Engage in active listening with people who are unable to cope, and respond to their strengths. Enter into collaborative dialogue that helps people to imagine a better future—one that includes hope. Once that future orientation is in view, work with them to focus on one strategy that supports their recovery. Connect them with a cheerleader in their life, formal or informal, who can support them going forward.

Question: What’s your favourite way to unwind after a long day of work?

I love to walk and have incorporated active transportation into my life. It gives me a bit of exercise and plenty of time to process my thoughts and reset.

Question: What’s a fun fact about you that most people wouldn’t expect?

I was part of a team that envisioned creating a dual degree program in nursing, partnering with a university in Manipal, India, that allows their graduates to enter the Canadian workforce as RNs without many of the challenges faced by internationally educated nurses (IEN’s)

Talking About Suicide: Empowering Healthcare Providers, Instilling Hope in Clients

Earn up to 4 certified Mainpro+® credits!

The Talking About Suicide eLearning course is a free, self-paced micro-course designed for all healthcare professionals. In as little as three hours, gain the knowledge and confidence to navigate critical conversations about suicide, support those in crisis, and foster hope in your healthcare setting.

Enrol for free today!

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This program has received financial support from Health Canada.

Talking About Suicide Spotlight Series

The Talking About Suicide course was developed by dedicated individuals committed to improving mental health support and suicide prevention in healthcare. This special Spotlight Series highlights just a few of those individuals who helped shape the course and ensure its relevance and impact.

Click on the profiles below to explore their stories and learn more about the contributors behind this important work.