Suicide postvention team now serving Clinton Co.
Press-RepublicanApr 03, 2017
The group of skilled, trained volunteers was born from the efforts of an ad hoc committee of the Clinton County Community Services Board, Board President
Their goal is to provide "postvention services to families, faith-based groups, schools and work places, etc., who have lost a loved one to suicide in
"Why postvention? Because it serves as a powerful prevention strategy," Coalition Chair
DEBUNK MYTH
Response Team Coordinator
"We have specifically chosen that date to debunk the myth that the majority of suicides happen in November and December."
Data on the seasonality of suicide shows that most occur February through July, peaking in April and May.
The group is made up of two four-person teams and Support Team Coordinator
All are trained in prevention and postvention, and some are trained in intervention, Black said.
"We need to respond better as a community to situations where someone has chosen suicide."
ONLY IF REQUESTED
The plan is to have the two teams alternate with one another to prevent burnout.
Black,
They will only respond when invited, Black said. As team coordinator, she receives the requests, made by phone.
The team then decides how it is of value to the situation.
"We'll get back to the person who has requested us to respond or explain why we're not appropriate" and direct that person to the proper resources, Black said.
WORSENING TREND
The
"We believe, from what we have been told, that we're the second one in
In 2011-13 data that excludes
And informal information from 2016 shows that trend is worsening, with the county having five times the statewide average.
AWARENESS
The hope is that, through initiatives like the
"None of the trainings make you a professional; it's about awareness," Black said.
About 90 percent of those who choose to end their lives by suicide have mental-health and/or substance-abuse issues, she said.
"We know that substance abuse contributes to people seeing no hope to live, the same as mental health," Black said.
"If we can deal with mental health and substance abuse, we will reduce the number of suicides."
BE THE HERO
In
According to the Project Semicolons website, "a semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to."
And that punctuation has come to represent continuing on despite suicidal thoughts, severe depression or other mental illness.
While one-time events like that can get people excited about the cause, that energy can fizzle out and wear on the businesses putting them on, Bulris said.
On
In May, which is National Mental Health Awareness Month, a concert at Retro Live in
Bulris said the coalitions may also incorporate blood drives into the events, since those who got tattoos are approaching the end of the state's required yearlong hiatus from blood donation.
That way, people can be heroes by both reducing stigma and giving blood, Bulris said.
Email
Twitter: @PPR_carachapman
CONTACT POSTVENTION TEAM
Call 1-800-724-0747 and ask for the suicide response team coordinator.
That line is also used for Employee Assistance Services.
UPCOMING EVENTS
"An Evening of Hope and Healing: Stories of Strength" will take place from
Bring a shirt, hoodie or cape from home; Impeerium and NAMI-CV will provide the art supplies.
Learn about more events by visiting the "
WHERE TO GET HELP
There is help for anyone who is considering suicide.
For counseling:
Citizen Advocates, in northern
For emotional crises:
The toll-free
Out-of-county calls are accepted but other options are:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, (800) 273-TALK (8255).
The Essex County Mental Health Association
Visit the
If a friend of yours posts suicidal content on Facebook, let someone know -- an adult, the police. And visit http://tinyurl.com/nuvnm29 to report it.
For free, confidential, 24/7 crisis support, text 741741 or send a Facebook message to https://www.facebook.com/crisistextline/ to chat with a crisis counselor through
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