September 7 – September 13
Kingston, NY – In an ongoing effort to help prevent suicide through awareness and education, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein joined leaders from throughout the nation in recognizing September 7-13 as Suicide Prevention Week. This year’s theme is “Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives,” which focuses on raising awareness that suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death on a global level.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States with approximately 110 suicides per day, one every 13 minutes. Internationally, suicide claims an estimated 1 million lives worldwide each year. Although suicide touches the lives of people from all walks of life, the most vulnerable demographic groups are teens and young adults, the elderly, and veterans.
“New York State’s rate of suicide is far lower than the national average, however, even one suicide is one too many,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “Suicide devastates families and many of us know someone who has been affected by suicide. Ulster County's Suicide Prevention, Education, Awareness and Knowledge (SPEAK) coalition works proactively with all sectors of our community to help prevent, and cope with, the tragedy that is suicide. We have also developed the SPEAK mobile app (Ulster County SPEAK) which is a free powerful tool that provides individuals with a guide for recognizing the warning signs of suicide and includes helpful videos and important contact numbers."
Dr. Carol Smith, Ulster County Commissioner of Health and Mental Health
“Suicide is a significant public health challenge and a priority focus in our Community Health Improvement Plan,” said Dr. Carol Smith, Ulster County Commissioner of Health and Mental Health. “We know from research that if we help people recognize the warning signs of suicide, we stand a chance of preventing a suicide by securing counseling for the individual in question. Placing a little time between an initial suicidal impulse and a person acting on it is often just enough to avert a tragedy. Our suicide prevention resources are excellent and I encourage schools, workplaces and other organizations to contact us for the free education and training that can help save lives.”
More information on Ulster County’s suicide awareness, education and prevention resources are available online at http://ulstercountyny.gov/ulster-county-suicide-prevention-education-and-awareness-committee. 24/7 expert suicide assistance is available from Family of Woodstock’s 24 Hour Crisis Hotline at 845-338-2370 and from the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-(800) 273-8255.
