The Framework contributes to the implementation of the Mental Health Strategy for Canada: Changing Directions, Changing Lives, which is focused on improving the mental health and well-being of all Canadians. It also aligns with the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (the Continuum) which is designed to help partners work more effectively with federal, provincial and territorial programs within a comprehensive mental wellness system for First Nations
The Framework is informed by the World Health Organization's Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative report, which reinforces the value of a public health approach to suicide prevention. This approach includes both universal interventions, which strive to improve the health of the population as a whole, and tailored interventions for groups that experience higher rates of suicide and which strive to reduce health disparities between groups.