Hello! My name is Matias Gay, and I am passionate about teaching suicidology to help individuals and communities understand and address suicidal phenomena. My journey in the mental health field began with my clinical nursing work in acute inpatient and psychiatric emergency departments. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working in various capacities, including my current leadership role at the IWK Children's Hospital's Emergency Department for Mental Health and Addictions in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Early Life and Education
I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and spent my childhood there before moving to Canada. I was raised in Stittsville, a suburb outside Ottawa, Ontario, where I developed a deep interest in healthcare. This passion led me to pursue a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa.
Clinical Background
My early career involved providing critical care and conducting suicide risk assessments at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. This experience set the foundation for my specialized focus on suicidality, which I continued to develop at the IWK Emergency Department. Here, I managed complex cases, provided direct clinical support, and contributed to policy development and staff training. In my current role as Clinical Leader of Operations, I oversee the integration of best practices in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.
Discovering Suicidology
My interest in suicidology was motivated through the discovery of the narrative-crisis model. This model provided me with a comprehensive framework to understand the complexities of suicidal behavior and its underlying causes. Driven by this newfound passion, I embarked on an extensive reading journey, delving into over 150 books on suicide. This exploration spanned various categories, including theoretical perspectives, cultural influences, management and intervention strategies, and personal narratives.
Education and Presentations
I have been actively involved in educating others about suicidology. My educational sessions have included topics such as safety monitoring and intervention for high-risk individuals, the epidemiology of youth suicidality, comprehensive suicide risk assessment formulation, and the application of evidence-based models and theories. I have conducted these sessions at various institutions and events, including:
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IWK Department of MHA Program Orientation: Child & Adolescent Suicide-Risk Implications
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Nova Scotia College of Social Workers National Day of the Child: Family Environment and Suicide Risk: How to foster Healthy Children.
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Nova Scotia Provincial Substance use Disorders Team: Applying the NCM for Suicide-Risk Formulation
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IWK Community Mental Health & Addictions Seminar: Multimodal Suicide-Risk Assessments for Clinical Practice
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IWK Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Nursing Continuing Education Workshop: Suicide-Risk Implications for Inpatient Psychiatric Settings
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IWK Pediatric Internal Medicine Grand Rounds: Understanding Suicide-Risk in Youth Populations
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IWK Pediatric Emergency Medicine Grand Rounds: Lethality & Suicide Risk in Emergency Settings: Using Evidenced-Based Practice to Inform Interventions
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Dalhousie University Psychiatric Grand Rounds: Introducing the Narrative-Crisis Model for Suicide Risk Assessment
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Dalhousie University R5 Psychiatry Seminar: Dynamic Child and Adolescent Suicide-Risk Formulation
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Dalhousie University Department of Social Work Master’s Seminar: Suicide Stress-Diathesis Model and Cultural Implications
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Dalhousie University Department of Social Work Bachelor’s Seminar: Understanding The Suicidal Narrative
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Dalhousie University Department of Nursing Bachelor’s Seminar: Child and Adolescent Suicide-Risk Implications
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HRM Police Victim’s Services Workshop: Bereavement Support, Suicide-Risk Screening & Occupational Risk of Public Safety Personal.
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AAS Las Vegas 24 Conference: The Narrative Crisis Model: An Empirical Framework for the Assessment of Suicidality
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Mental Health Academy Online Course Available for CE: Child & Adolescent Suicide-Risk Formulation
Research Study
In addition to my educational efforts, I am currently involved in leading a research study titled Examining the Perceptions and Attitudes of Nova Scotia's Healthcare Workers Towards Suicidal Youth and Their Families. This study aims to explore the emotional responses and challenges healthcare workers face when working with suicidal youth and their caregivers. It seeks to identify areas for improvement in training and support to enhance the care provided to this vulnerable population.
Core Values
My practice is guided by two core values that are central to my approach to suicidology:
1. Understanding Suicidal Careers: Inspired by the work of Ronald Maris, this concept views suicidality as a career-like progression. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and intervening at various stages to prevent escalation.
2. The Narrative-Crisis Model: This model is my primary framework for analyzing and formulating suicide risk assessments. It focuses on the individual's narrative and crisis points, providing a nuanced understanding of their experiences and motivations
Future Research
My main areas of future research within the narrative-crisis model include:
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Implications of Identity: Exploring how personal identity factors into the development and experience of suicidality.
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Cultural Implications: Investigating how different cultural backgrounds influence suicidal behavior and prevention strategies.
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Directionality of Belonging: Understanding the impact of social connections and belonging on suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
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Co-Founding Variables: Identifying and examining other variables that have not yet been explored within the narrative-crisis model to gain a deeper understanding of suicidality.