Suicide prevention
Save the Date: Second Suicide Prevention Summit to be held September 8th, 2008 at the American Family Training Center
Three-hundred people attended Safe Communities/HOPES Suicide Prevention Summit on September 24th, 2007 - a capacity crowd. We are excited to announce a second summit to be held during Suicide Prevention Week that will hone in on specific populations and their special issues and concerns. The second summit will include a plenary speaker, closing session and workshops. Continuing education credits will be provided.
Workshops are likely to include:
- Spirituality and Prevention of Suicide
- African Americans and Suicide: Its Incidence and Prevention
- Strategies (in partnership with African American Health Network)
- Older Adults and Suicide: Incidence and Prevention Strategies (in partnership with Area Agency on Aging/Dane County Senior Focal Points)
- QPR for Youth Workers
- Latinos and Suicide: Its Incidence and Prevention Strategies (in partnership with Latino Health Council)
- Special Issues Facing Veterans (in partnership with Middleton VA Hospital)
We are seeking summit sponsorships and support for a scholarship fund.
If you are interested in helping to underwrite this summit, please contact Cheryl Wittke, Executive Director of Safe Communities at (608) 256-6713 or info@safercommunity.net.
Background
In Dane County we lose 40 – 50 people each year to suicide; 500 are hospitalized or admitted to emergency departments due to injuries sustained during suicide attempts. Suicide is a significant public health problem in Dane County and we need to address it.
At last suicide is emerging as a topic for discussion and action. Most recently (Sunday, February 18, 2007) Wisconsin State Journal’s front page article “Mental Ills Come Out of the Closet” featured families who are speaking frankly in obituaries and other public venues about losing a loved ones to mental illness and suicide.
Research tells us that 90% of people who die from suicide have a treatable mental illness or a substance abuse disorder. We know that suicide is often preventable with education, treatment and support. Because suicide is such a complex public health problem the Surgeon General recommends that we engage in prevention strategies community by community to be effective.
We are excited to announce a concerted effort to prevent suicide in Dane County communities with those affected by the tragedy of suicide in the lead.
Suicide Prevention Mobilization and Call-to-Action Facts
Scope of the problem: Suicide is a serious public health issue in Wisconsin. Suicide is often preventable with education, treatment and support (90% of the people that die of suicide have a treatable mental illness or substance abuse problem.)
| 2004 Statistics |
Suicides
|
Homicides
|
|
| Wisconsin |
650
|
160
|
Suicide makes up 74% of violent deaths. |
| Dane County |
48
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wisconsin Violent Injuries and Death - Annual Report 2004 (released Summer 2006)
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24. One in five Wisconsin high school students reported seriously considering suicide.
- According to the National Strategy, for every suicide death there are another five hospitalizations and 22 emergency department visits for suicide attempts.
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Project goals:
- To raise awareness that suicide is a serious but preventable public health problem
- To develop broad-based, county-wide support for suicide prevention
- To build a sustainable network of local organizations and individuals that will participate in the development, implementation and evaluation of community-based suicide prevention efforts.
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Objectives:
- Task force workgroups will address the following key areas: public education; gate-keeper training; access to services; ER/Hospital discharge and follow-up care; event planning.
Partners and Task Force members:
In partnership with HOPES (Helping Others Prevent and Educate about Suicide), Safe Communities member organizations will hold a Suicide Prevention Call to Action and Community Mobilization September 24, 2007. The goal of the Call to Action is to train and mobilize schools, faith communities, public health and safety agencies and private health care providers to prevent suicides and suicide attempts in Dane County because 90% of suicides can be prevented.
Project partners include:
- Charles E. Kubly Foundation
- Club TNT
- Dane County Human Services
- Mental Health Center of Dane County
- Dean Health System
- Edgewood College – School of Nursing
- HOPES (Helping Others Prevent and Educate about Suicide)
- Madison-area Urban Ministry
- Madison Metropolitan School District
- Mental Health America of Wisconsin
- Middleton Police Department
- Middleton Senior Center
- NAMI of Dane County
- New Directions Information Center
- Office of Community Services – City of Madison
- Public Health of Madison and Dane County
- Sun Prairie School District
- Survivors
- WI-DHFS Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Task force members include:
- Connie Bettin – Dane Co Human Services
- Rebecca Cohen – Bureau of Mental Health & Substance Abuse
- Susan Conlin Opheim – HOPES
- Dave de Felice
- Patricia Derer – HOPES
- Jeanne Erickson – Club TNT
- Kristen Esbensen – Mental Health Center of Dane County
- Helen Fitzgerald – Veterans Administration Hospital
- Eric Garland – HOPES
- William Greer – Mental Health Center of Dane County
- Kathy Halley, PhD – MMSD
- Donna Hamilton – Middleton Police Department
- Mary Pat Hank
- Brenda Jennings – Mental Health America of WI
- Linda Ketcham – Madison-area Urban Ministry
- Kathy Lauer – Middleton Senior Center
- Bonnie Loughran – NAMI Dane County
- Pam McGranahan – Public Health of Madison and Dane Co.
- Peggy Michaels – New Directions Info Center
- Mike Miller, MD – Meriter, New Start/Alcohol Drug Treatment
- Mary Moldenhauer – HOPES
- Mary O’Donnell – City of Madison
- Nancy Pierce – Mental Health Center of Dane County
- Bonnie Schmidt – Safe Communities
- Rick Schramm, MD – Dean Health System
- Christy Sheppleman – Sun Prairie High School
- Amy Vieth – Public Health of Madison & Dane Co.
- Cheryl Wittke – Safe Communities
Sources
- The Wisconsin Suicide Prevention Strategy (May 2002) WI Department of Health and Family Services – 11 Goals that emphasize a public health approach as a model of action.
- The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide (1999) – suicide prevention activities must occur at the community level and they need to take a collaborative approach.
- Wisconsin State Journal articles (please scroll down the WSJ webpage to view relevant articles.
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