The event will feature speaker Maria Willits, a suicide loss survivor and suicide prevention advocate from Lake Region Healthcare Psychiatry Clinic in Fergus Falls. One effort is means reduction, which makes it more hard for a suicidal person to have access to ways to commit suicide.
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Whereas some suicide deaths may be newsworthy, the way media covers suicide can influence behavior negatively by contributing to contagion or positively by encouraging help seeking. We worked with organisations including Samaritans to develop these tools, and one of the first things they told us was how much connecting with people who care can help those who are struggling to cope.
September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) and the Movember Foundation is using the day and its global reach to give male suicide the urgent attention it deserves, with the launch of a short video entitled “Suicide Notes Talk Too Late“. A Dayton resident, Kim is part of the History Faculty at Western Nevada College, and is a certified safeTALK trainer and a probationary ASIST trainer who has been a volunteer in suicide prevention since 2006 and a trainer since 2013.
Suicide Prevention Coalition of Erie County Coordinator Olivia Retallack said suicide is a complex and multifaceted issue. Every member of the society should be alert for signs that a person is considering suicide and should take action. When these warning signs appear, quickly connecting the person to supportive services is critical, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people who die by suicide feel disconnected or that they are a burden to those closest to them.
“[In Arapahoe County] there have been 73 deaths from suicide from January to the end of August, while others remain under investigation”, said Candace Bretsch, autopsy assistant with the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office and chair of the Douglas/Arapahoe County Suicide Prevention Alliance. “So we really want to recognize there is hope around suicide”. McGovern says asking someone about the issue could start a conversation that lets them know there is help available. The coalition also works to facilitate better access to resources for those experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings. “Suicide is everyone’s business and, together, we can save lives”.
Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all way to know if someone you know is having difficulties leading them to contemplate suicide.
“I found people who love me and encourage me” he says now.
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After Willits’ presentation, Dr. Susan Meland will speak about her role as a psychiatrist, and psychologists from Lakeland Mental Health also will have the chance to speak.
