Suicide Prevention Events Set for September, October
September 12, 2007—Denver—Suicide prevention
experts from the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment’s Office of Suicide Prevention Wednesday
announced several events and activities on suicide
prevention occurring in September and October. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Colorado has the seventh highest suicide death rate in the
United States.
Jarrod Hindman, manager of the department’s Office of
Suicide Prevention, said, “More people in Colorado die by
suicide than by motor vehicle crashes, and suicide is the
second leading cause of death for Coloradans ages 10 through
34.
“With more than 30,000 deaths nationally each year, suicide
is a public health issue that impacts everyone.” Suicide prevention events and activities planned for
September and October include:
- Denver – Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22-23 at Regis
University, 3333 Regis Blvd., Student Center (Saturday,
11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.) –
Innovations in Mental Health Conference, sponsored by Regis
University and the Colorado chapter of the National Alliance
for the Mentally Ill. For more information, please visit
www.namicolorado.org.
- Denver - Saturday, Sept. 22, 1-3 p.m., Regis University,
3333 Regis Blvd., Adult Learning Center, Mountain View Room
– In conjunction with the Innovations in Mental Health
Conference, the Office of Suicide Prevention and Regis
University will host a free training by Dr. Russell Copelan
entitled, “Management of Youth Nonideation Suicidality.” For
more information, please visit
www.blacktie-colorado.com.
- Denver - Sunday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m., Sloan’s Lake Park, 4001 W.
17th Ave. – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out
of the Darkness Community Walk. Proceeds from the walk
support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and
suicide prevention efforts in Colorado. For more
information, please visit
www.outofthedarkness.org.
- Lakewood – Sunday, Sept. 23, registration starting at 9:30
a.m., Green Mountain High School, 134175 Green Mountain
Drive – The Sixth Annual Second Wind Fund Walk, Run, Ride.
The Second Wind Fund provides funds for emergency counseling
for uninsured and underinsured students identified by their
school counselors or administrators as being at-risk for
suicide. Details at
www.thesecondwindfund.org.
Regional Forums
The Colorado Trust, in collaboration
with Mental Health America of Colorado, the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of
Suicide Prevention and the Suicide Prevention Coalition of
Colorado, is holding statewide regional forums to gather
input from stakeholders for updating and revising the 1998
strategic plan for suicide prevention in Colorado. The
Colorado Trust also is funding the update of the strategic
plan. The forums include:
- Alamosa - Monday, Oct 15, Noon – 4 p.m., Alamosa Family
Recreation Center, 2222 Old Sanford Road
- Cortez - Wednesday, Sept. 26, Noon – 4 p.m., Empire
Electric Company, Calvin Denton Rm., 801 No. Broadway
- Grand Junction – Tuesday, Sept. 25, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.,
The Museum of Western Colorado, 248 S. 4th Street
- Pueblo - Wednesday, Oct. 3, Noon-4 p.m., Pueblo County
Conference Center, 1001 No. Santa Fe
The first of the forums was held Sept. 5 in Greeley and
was attended by first lady Jeanne Ritter and more than 60
stakeholders from northern Colorado. Suicide is
Preventable
Hindman noted that up to 90 percent of those who die by
suicide have a diagnosable mental illness, such as
depression. “Fortunately, we know that mental illnesses are
highly treatable with proper access to and resources for
services,” he said. “It is imperative to encourage all
Coloradans to recognize and believe that it is OK to ask for
help when feelings of desperation, depression and suicide
are overwhelming. Help is available. If you or someone you
know is in crisis, a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline is
available to help and we encourage anyone to call the
hotline at 1-800-273-8255.” He added that the department’s
Office of Suicide Prevention, working in collaboration with
suicide prevention partners statewide, is dedicated to
reducing the number of suicide attempts and deaths
statewide.
“Public education, community grants, program support and
evaluation, and reducing the stigma surrounding suicide and
mental health treatment are staples of the suicide
prevention movement,” Hindman said. For more information
on suicide prevention, please contact the Department of
Public Health and Environment’s Office of Suicide Prevention
at 303-692-2539. For more information regarding the regional
forums, please contact Miriam Dunnan, executive director of
the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado at mdunnan@mhacolorado.org. --30-- |
