Matias Gay

Ph.D.

Clinical Leader of Operations for Emergency Mental Health and Addictions, IWK Children's Hospital

http://www.understandingsuicidology.com/

Matias Gay is passionate about teaching suicidology to help individuals and communities understand and address suicidal phenomena. Their current research study focuses on the perceptions and attitudes of Nova Scotia's healthcare workers toward suicidal youth and their families.

Expert Bio

Matias Gay is passionate about teaching suicidology to help individuals and communities understand and address suicidal phenomena. Matias’s journey in the mental health field began with clinical nursing work in acute inpatient and psychiatric emergency departments. Over the years, they have worked in various capacities, including their current leadership role at the IWK Children's Hospital's Emergency Department for Mental Health and Addictions in Halifax, Nova Scotia.   Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised in Stittsville, Ontario, Matias developed a deep interest in healthcare early on, leading them to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa. Matias's clinical background includes critical care and suicide risk assessments at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, laying the foundation for their specialised focus on suicidality. Their current role as Clinical Leader of Operations involves overseeing best practices in crisis intervention and suicide prevention at the IWK.   Matias's interest in suicidology deepened through the discovery of the narrative-crisis model, which provided a comprehensive framework to understand the complexities of suicidal behaviour. Over the years, Matias has read over 150 books on suicide, exploring various perspectives, cultural influences, intervention strategies, and personal narratives, which inform their current practice and teaching. As an educator, Matias has conducted sessions on high-risk individual intervention, youth suicidality, suicide risk assessment, and evidence-based models at institutions such as Dalhousie University, the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, Victim Services, the Department of Pediatricians/Emergency Physicians, and the American Association of Suicidology. Their current research study focuses on the perceptions and attitudes of Nova Scotia's healthcare workers toward suicidal youth and their families.   Guided by two core values—understanding suicidal careers and the narrative-crisis model—Matias’s future research will delve into identity, cultural implications, social connections, and co-founding variables in suicidality, aiming to provide a compassionate and informed approach to suicide prevention and education.