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A sign indicating a suicide prevention hotline is displayed on the pedestrian walkway of the George Washington Bridge in New York City on Monday, August 9, 2021 (Seth Wenig, Associated Press)
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and it is a great time to renew commitments to help others, to better educate themselves and to discover the resources available in mental health. Across Utah, individuals and organizations are promoting ways to save lives, educate others about prevention, and find hope.
Together we can stop suicide. This is the message from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Taryn Hiatt, AFSP area director, said one of the greatest opportunities for suicide prevention is to limit access to lethal means. “Limiting access to guns and medicine saves lives,” she said.
According to Hiatt, people with suicidal thoughts who don’t have access to deadly tools, like a gun, can’t find another way to kill themselves, in most cases. Separating a person from a gun, even temporarily, can increase the likelihood that they will not die by suicide.
On September 28, AFSP Utah is hosting a “Talk Saves Lives” virtual event from 6.30pm to 8.00pm. The presentation will teach participants about common risk factors and how to protect others. Registration and more information are available at http://afsp.org/chapter/Utah.
Throughout the month, the AFSP has hosted Walk Out of the Darkness events across Utah, with some coming in the next two weeks. Last week, over 3,000 people participated in West Jordan. These community walks are held in hundreds of cities across the country and not only show support for those affected by suicide, but also raise awareness and fundraise for ongoing prevention efforts. Volunteers organize suicide prevention walks as part of the ongoing suicide prevention work.
“Anyone interested in volunteering can visit our website and complete our application,” Hiatt said. “Our volunteer coordinator will contact you to start your training process. “
Hope4Utah’s 17th Annual Walk4Hope will take place on September 25, starting from Timpanogos Elementary School at 449 N. 500 West in Provo. The walk brings people together each year to raise community awareness about suicide and promote the suicide prevention message. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with a program at 9:30 a.m. and the walk at 10 a.m.
PG Cares, the Communities That Care Coalition in Pleasant Grove, regularly offers free suicide prevention training in person and online. The “QPR Spells Hope” trainings teach three important stages of prevention: Interview, persuade and refer. The next training, September 25 at 2 p.m., will be held at the Pleasant Grove Library. For more information and to register, visit the PG cares about Facebook page or on their Instagram account @pgcares.
Living in Utah, is a statewide effort to reduce suicide. The association promotes awareness and prevention and also offers training. “The Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health are committed to providing training and education on programs that can help communities build their capacity for effective disease prevention. suicide ”, we can read on http://liveonutah.org.
As individuals and organizations strive to prevent suicide, businesses are also implementing this work when possible. The Cottonwood Heights Foothill Family Clinic will begin integrating behavioral health into its primary care practice this fall.
“If you factor in all the metrics, Utah currently ranks fourth in the country for access to mental health, according to Mental Health America. Through this partnership, we have a life-changing opportunity to provide much needed behavioral health solutions to struggling Utahns, ”a press release read. The Foothill Family Clinic is partnering with evolvedMD, an integrator of behavioral health services and primary care practices, to make these changes.
Help is available 24 hours a day by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.
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