"We have a Cass County zero suicide task force and this task force consists of members from all over. We’ve been working hard on an initiative to stop suicides in Cass County. Suicides are on the rise in Cass County. In 2012, we had 2 suicides that were committed. In 2013, we had 2. In 2014, we had 3. In 2015 we shot up to 9. Those are horrible numbers for this tiny rural county. We want to stop this and so what we’ve been working on is ways to build a network for our community where people can feel safe, like they have supports. And so we’re trying to make a community that can watch out for each other.
We are hosting a training on the 23rd from 8 a.m. to noon and that is for any person that could potentially work with someone that is suicidal. That can be healthcare, it can be employers, it can be HR, law enforcement, anybody that could possibly be working with someone who is suicidal. What we’re going to be training is how to use a risk assessment tool that anybody can use. It was created at Columbia University in New York and one of the creators is coming here to Logansport. The Department of Mental Health in Indianapolis has strongly encouraged every community mental health center in the state, and there’s 25 of them, to attend, along with hospitals, law enforcement, they’re really strongly encouraging so everyone in the state will be speaking the same language using this tool. In the evening from 5-6:30, Adam Lesser is going to be here to talk to our community. Lesser has had a lot of experience working with 9-11 victims. People who survived, people who lost their families and loved ones, and he’s going to use those skills to help work with our community on grief, loss and a lot of guilt that goes with a suicide.
The morning session will take place Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 from 8 a.m. to noon at McHale PAC. The evening session is scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Revolution Community Church. E-mail dhenry@fourcounty.org for more information.
The morning session will take place Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 from 8 a.m. to noon at McHale PAC. The evening session is scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Revolution Community Church. E-mail dhenry@fourcounty.org for more information.
