Seana Jewer — Community, Connection, and Supporting Each Other Through Suicide

In this episode of Keep Talking, host Sam Madore sits down with Seana Jewer, Community Engagement Lead with Roots of Hope at Nova Scotia Health, for a compassionate and insightful conversation about suicide prevention, community care, and connection.Seana shares how Roots of Hope is helping communities across Nova Scotia build the skills and confidence to support people who may be thinking about suicide, as well as those who are grieving. She speaks to the vital role of lived experience, the importance of creating safe, non-judgmental spaces, and why community — not just the healthcare system — plays a key role in helping people stay connected to life.Together, they explore what meaningful support can look like in everyday moments, from recognizing when something needs to change to finding small ways to reconnect with the present. Seana also reflects on the importance of caring for ourselves, setting boundaries, and letting go of control — both as supporters and as individuals navigating our own mental health.We also continue the conversation with the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia’s President and CEO, Starr Cunningham, reflecting on how community-led initiatives and partnerships are strengthening mental wellness across the province.Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Listener discretion is advised.⸻About Seana JewerSeana Jewer is the Community Engagement Lead for Roots of Hope with Nova Scotia Health Mental Health and Addictions — a national initiative of the Mental Health Commission of Canada that helps communities build their capacity to support people who are thinking about or grieving from suicide. Seana’s journey into suicide prevention began in 2019 with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Communities Address Suicide Together program, and she’s since become recognized by the Public Health Agency of Canada as an emerging expert in the field. She’s also a published researcher whose work explores how caregivers and communities can be supported through compassionate, practical, and even tech-driven approaches to suicide prevention. With more than 20 years in the community sector, Seana brings both heart and experience to her work. She’s passionate about rethinking how we talk about suicide — moving away from stigma and toward understanding, connection, and community care. Raised in Bible Hill and now a mom of two neurodiverse teens, Seana balances her professional life with a love of mid-century design, vintage glass, houseplants, and a good TV series — currently Severance.⸻Support & ResourcesThis episode may include discussion of mental health or suicide. If this brings up difficult feelings, help is available.​Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988 (24/7)​Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team (NS): 1-888-429-8167​Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868If you’re in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.⸻About Keep TalkingKeep Talking is a podcast by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, which funds community-based mental health and addictions programs across the province. The Foundation does not provide direct services.Learn more or support our work: mentalhealthns.ca⸻New episodes of Keep Talking are available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.This episode was recorded and edited by Tiny Rhino Studios and produced by Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.Music: “I Must Believe” by T. Thomason