Suicide Prevention Council of St. Joseph County and Surrounding Areas

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Suicide Prevention in Indiana

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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Local Emergency Services:
1-877-234-0062 toll free
574-234-0061 local
operated by Madison Center

ABOUT US: The Suicide Prevention Council of St. Joseph County and Surrounding Areas is an independent, collaborative group of many organizations and individuals in northern Indiana united to enhance regional efforts in suicide prevention across the lifespan.Read more about our history)

Our mission is community collaboration to address our community's needs through raising awareness of education and training on suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. This mission is accomplished through continual community collaboration and needs assessment, ongoing education and training, and active participation in the Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Goals:

  1. Promote Awareness (suicide as a health issue, warning signs and symptoms, barriers to getting help, need for front line education)
  2. Facilitate Education of Target Groups (promote community educational opportunities)
  3. Foster Community Partnerships to bring the community together on this important public and mental health issue
  4. Research and Evaluation within our community to determine trends and effectiveness of programs

Membership:

The Suicide Prevention Council is continually expanding to assure adequate community representation for this important public health issue.
See Key Community Sectors Represented on the Council)

We serve 8 counties:

in Indiana: St. Joseph, Starke, LaPorte, Marshall, Kosciusko

in Michigan: Cass, Berrien, St. Joseph

Monthly Meetings:

In our efforts to assure adequate community representation for this important public health issue, the Suicide Prevention Council welcomes individuals and organizations committed to providing an unbiased, united approach to the cause at hand. Please contact Laura Medow, Council Chair at lauramedow@earthlink.net or 574-220-6381 if interested in learning more about the council.

 The council meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 12 Noon;
see Meeting Schedule, read Meeting Minutes

Funding:

Our entirely volunteer organization is funded through grants and contributions. United Health Services functions as the council fiscal agent, therefore, all donations are tax-deductible.(see how to donate)

 ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES:

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CONTACT US:

Laura Medow
Council Chair
(574) 220-6381
lauramedow@earthlink.net
(See Laura Medow's Biography)

John McIntosh, Ph.D. IUSB Associate Dean and
Chair/Professor Department of Psychology
Past President, American Association of Suicidology
(574) 520-4343
jmcintos@iusb.edu
(See John McIntosh's Biography)

The Surgeon General has declared suicide prevention a national initiative: education is the key to prevention.

  • The majority of individuals who attempt suicide, the National Mental Health Association reports, have given clear warnings and it is critical that warning signs of suicidal ideation are recognized and that one knows how to respond appropriately.
  • People are afraid to talk about suicide: to understand and prevent suicide is a means of promoting human well-being.
  • Nationally, more persons lose their lives to suicide than to homicide.
  • An average of 1 person every 18 minutes kills themselves; 1 elderly person kills themselves every 1 hour 40 minutes and an average of 1 young person kills themselves every 2 hours 12 minutes.
  • Suicide is the third leading cause of death among the 15-19 year age group, and for every completed suicide, statistics suggest there are as many as 200 attempts!
  • In Saint Joseph County, there is an average of 2.5 suicides every month. For each completed suicide, there are at least six survivors intimately affected as well.

Suicide is a complex and multi-dimensional problem It's about pain, hopelessness, isolation, and silence. Suicide is a serious public health problem stemming from a variety of issues. Problems at home, work, school, with relationships, and failed expectations can all be factors, as well as emotional states such as depression, bi-polar disorder or other mental health conditions, including those initiated by a traumatic event or extreme distress.

Risk factors remain essentially the same across the world ... mental illness, substance abuse, previous suicide attempts, hopelessness, access to lethal means, recent loss of loved ones, unemployment and vulnerability to self-harm are just a few examples of risk factors.

Protective factors are also the same in all corners of the world. Examples of factors that buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviors include high self-esteem, social connectedness, supportive family and friends, problem-solving skills.

Resources available

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HISTORY

  • From 1974 through 2002 a suicide/ crisis 24 hour Hotline and Helpline is provided by the Community Resources Center (CRC), South Bend IN.
  • From 1998 to 2002, the CRC brought the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program, a local extension of an internationally recognized proactive outreach program to help prevent youth suicide, to our area schools.
  • In 2001 the CRC received international recognition of its Yellow Ribbon Program by The Light for Life Foundation as one of seven model programs in the world.
  • Spring 2001, the Junior League of South Bend took on Youth Suicide Prevention as a one-year project with the CRC, and was the recipient of The George W. Bush Presidential Daily Points of Light Award for their efforts.
  • December 2001- dissolution of the Community Resource Center. The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program now continues through the Family and Children's Center.
  • In April of 2002, a separate local collaborative task force initiative on general suicide prevention began as an offspring of the CRC/Junior League community project.
  • 2003 - the collaborative task force voted to continue their work as a permanent independent collaborative organization: Suicide Prevention Council of St. Joseph County and Surrounding Areas. (See Key Community Sectors Represented on the Council)
  • The Suicide Prevention Council is continually expanding to assure adequate community representation for this important public health issue.  Please contact Laura Medow, Council Chair at 574-220-6381 or lauramedow@earthlink.net if interested in learning more about the council.

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Key Community Sectors Represented on the Council

The Suicide Prevention Council is continually expanding to assure adequate community representation for this important public health issue. Please contact Laura Medow, Council Chair at lauramedow@earthlink.net or 574-220-6381 if interested in learning more about the council. If your organization is listed below and you wish to suggest a more appropriate link, please contact Laura Medow.

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Kurt and Tessye Simon Educational Grant

In 2003, Kurt Simon donated money to the Suicide Prevention Council for educational use only, entitled the Kurt and Tessye Simon Educational Grant.

This grant is currently being utilized to offer scholarships to all regional middle schools and high schools so that at least one professional in each school building can attend a two day intensive training on suicide intervention, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). Youth are especially at risk for suicide, with 100 or more attempts for every death by suicide, and the third leading cause of death in the 10-24 year old age group. The focus of ASIST is to reduce the immediate risk of suicide.

(See more information about ASIST)

+Minutes of Council Meetings:

(in .PDF format, requires software such as Adobe Reader )
last updated: 10 Nov.  2008