As we embark on another year of Suicide Prevention Week, we join with survivors of suicide and of suicide loss, along with others in the suicide prevention community across the world, to share and renew our collective commitment to preventing suicide.  We do this in hopes that it will bring more understanding and awareness to this tragic public health crisis.

Why do we prioritize suicide prevention at MHCGM?  We know that each year over 47,000 individuals in the United States die by suicide. Think ab

out that.  This is four times the number of people who could fill the SNHU Arena.   We know from the research that 50% of people who go on to die by suicide have seen a healthcare provider in the previous 30 days.   We know that there is an opportunity to identify people at risk and to intervene.  We know that for every person who dies by suicide there are on average 135 people affected by their loss. In many cases, many more.  We know that when people have access to high-quality behavioral health treatment, they find hope, feel better, and can create a life worth living.   We train ALL of our staff in suicide prevention through our Zero Suicide initiative because we believe that suicide prevention is everyone’s business.

That is our why.

This week we will be posting information about ways to identify and assist someone who might be at risk for suicide. We hope that you will share our commitment to doing whatever we can to build hope, compassion, and awareness in our community so that together, we can all best support those who need us most.

If you or someone you know is in need of support, please don’t hesitate to contact our Mobile Crisis Support Team at 800-688-3544.