Our Vision - Healthy People

News Release  |  September 25, 2018

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Even though Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is coming to a close, keep in mind - suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues. 

Each year, more than 41,000 individuals die by suicide, leaving behind their friends and family members to navigate the tragedy of loss. In many cases, friends and families affected by a suicide loss (often called “suicide loss survivors”) are left in the dark. Too often the feelings of shame and stigma prevent them from talking openly. 

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share resources and stories in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic. We use this month to reach out to those affected by suicide, raise awareness and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services. It is also important to ensure individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention. 

Source: National Alliance on Mental Health 

"In Ottawa County, we are working to raise awareness of suicide warning signs and arm our community with information, tools and community resources," said Amy Sheele, health educator with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health. 

Suicide Resources in Ottawa County Taken from the QPR Institute, “QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer – the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.” To schedule QPR training, contact TCM Counseling at (616)842-9160 or kim@tcmcounseling.org.

The be nice. campaign is a mental health education, bully and suicide prevention initiative that creates a positive cultural change through simple daily actions. N is for Notice, I is for Invite, C is for Challenge and E is for Empower. For more information, contact benice.org at (616)389-8601 or catlanting@benice.org.

Ottawa County has several mental health and suicide prevention resources here. To view death by suicide data in Ottawa County, click here.

Media Contacts:

Kristina Wieghmink (616)494-5597 or kwieghmink@miottawa.org

Amy Sheele (616)393-5799 or asheele@miottawa.org

Our team at the Ottawa County Department of Public Health exemplifies equity, integrity and excellence. Our vision is for healthy people. We work with our community to help assure conditions that promote and protect health. We are dedicated to preventing diseases and providing evidence-based public health programs and services. Public health has a vital role in all of our lives. It empowers communities with the necessary resources, knowledge and opportunities to make lasting change.

To learn more, visit www.miOttawa.org/miHealth or check out what we’ve been doing at www.miOttawa.org/AnnualHealthReports.

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