‘What can I do?’
The Daily RecordJun 20, 2020
Mental health providers in
“When we each ask, ‘What can I do?’, we can each prevent suicide, by being attentive to people around us to refer a friend, family member, or co-worker for assessment or treatment,” said
The board and the Suicide Prevention Coalition of
Wood said it’s more important than ever for community members and organizations to become attentive to the needs of people around them and offer support such as early intervention by mental health providers.
The coalition met on Thursday.
In
To create further awareness of suicide prevention, the coalition wants to train more community members on how to recognize the warning signs that someone might be in crisis and how to “question, persuade, and refer” (QPR) someone to help.
The local mental health board has a QPR grant program available for area universities and colleges.
On behalf of the coalition, the board also received a grant prior to the pandemic from the
Talk about it
Foley provides a Signs of Suicide program in the majority of
Foley understands the risk of a suicide contagion when the death of a young person is widely reported. Yet, “if we are too tight-lipped we allow the rumor mill to shape the story, and we send the message that a death by cancer is a chapter in a heroic battle, but a death by suicide is a shameful, scary thing,” he said.
Foley said it’s much worse for the public if suicide is not talked about openly and in an informed, careful, respectful, and dispassionate or calm manner.
The LOSS Team — Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors — consists of trained mental health professionals acting as volunteers to bring immediate support to survivors of suicide. Suicide survivors are at risk due to their emotional response, which may include the use of unhealthy coping strategies or attempting suicide themselves.
NAMI also hosts a suicide survivors support group called People Affected by a Loved One’s Suicide (PALS). The group meets the fourth Tuesday of the month from
The Counseling Center provides crisis services 24 hours a day by phone at 330-264-9029. One-Eighty,
The organizations, contracted by the Mental Health and Recovery Board, are providing many of these services using telehealth.
Anazao, OneEighty, and the Counseling Center are offering up to two free, 30-minute sessions for community members or first responders to discuss behavioral health issues during the pandemic. The phone number for Anazao is 330-264-9597, and OneEighty is 330-264-8498.
The agencies are also focusing on contacting five people each day to be supportive, part of the “Strive for Five” initiative.
“We can be a friend by helping others know treatment and support options,” Wood said.
Reach Emily at 330-287-1632 or emorgan@the-daily-record.com. On Twitter: @mogie242
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