New Suicide Prevention Council Seeks Members

 

New Suicide Prevention Council Seeks Members

Poughkeepsie…The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) seeks members of the community to participate in a newly formed Resiliency Council, which will focus on suicide prevention in Dutchess County. The Council’s next meeting will take place on Friday, February 2, from 3-4 p.m. in the Training Room at DBCH at 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie.

“The number of people who die by suicide has steadily increased across the United States over the last decade, with Dutchess County seeing the same pattern,” said A. K. Vaidian, MD, MPH, Commissioner of the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health. “By coordinating efforts and working with our community partners, we hope to end the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide, and ultimately reverse this trend.”

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, nearly 45,000 Americans die by suicide each year. In Dutchess County, the rate of suicide deaths in 2015-2017 was more than a third (38%) higher than it was 10 years ago in 2005-2007.

Established to promote mental wellness and prevent suicide in our community, the Dutchess County Resiliency Council will promote a message of recovery, compassion, and social connectedness as it works to increase support and awareness programs for residents of all ages. Currently, the Council includes teachers, law enforcement professionals, students, veterans, people with lived experience, and mental health professionals who are invested in working with at-risk individuals. Interested members of the community are invited to participate.

Individuals who are interested in participating in the Resiliency Council should contact Dutchess County Prevention Coordinator Jean-Marie Niebuhr at (845) 486-2885 or healthinfo@dutchessny.gov.

Author: Harlem Valley News