Special to IFN

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will hold a public webinar to mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday, September 10. This comes as Gov. Roy Cooper proclaims the week of September 8-14 as Suicide Prevention Week in North Carolina.

Suicide is a significant public health issue that affects people across all socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds.

More than 1,525 North Carolinians ages 10 and older died by suicide last year, making it the ninth leading cause of death in the state and the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 40. Additionally, for every suicide, there were two hospitalizations and eight emergency department visits for self-inflicted injuries.

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month this September, NCDHHS is remembering those affected by suicide and reaffirming its commitment to curb this increasing trend by continuing to work to transform the behavioral health system in North Carolina.

“Every person in North Carolina should have access to the care they need, when and where they need it,” said N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We are investing in crisis care in our state so there is someone to contact, someone to respond and a safe place for help if you are having a behavioral health emergency.”

The department continues to support and manage the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Since the Lifeline’s transition to a three-digit number in July of 2022, 988 crisis counselors have responded to nearly 190,000 calls, texts and chats, providing critical access to mental health and substance use crisis support. 988 is an important component of NCDHHS’ ongoing work to ensure every North Carolinian has someone to contact when experiencing a mental health crisis.

Of the $835 million investment in behavioral health in the 2023 state budget, NCDHHS committed more than $130 million to transforming the state’s behavioral health crisis response services, including 988, to shift the system from a state of crisis to a state of care.

“For anyone struggling with their mental well-being or thoughts of suicide, it’s important to know that you are not alone and that it’s okay to ask for help whenever you need it,” said Kelly Crosbie, director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. “By reducing the stigma around mental health, fostering open conversations, and expanding access to care, we are building a system where every person knows how to access the right support when they or someone they love is facing a mental health crisis.”

State leaders will soon be looking for public input as it develops its new Suicide Prevention State Action Plan.

Achievements from the 2021-2025 Suicide Prevention Action Plan include:

♦ Created a Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Team to better coordinate suicide prevention efforts with state and federal partners;

♦ Developed a statewide inventory of suicide prevention resources and programs, accessible to everyone online;

♦ Providing youth primary suicide prevention education and training to school personnel, clinical providers and under-resourced school systems;

♦ Supporting access to Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST); an intensive early suicide intervention training for community helpers who interact with at-risk individuals and require training for those times of crisis;

♦ Providing Mental Health First Aid training to more than 1,200 educators, youth and emergency response personnel;

♦ Provided crisis intervention training for more than 2,040 law enforcement and emergency response personnel;

♦ Providing community helper training as well as Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) training is to facilitate the conversation between a practitioner and a person in crisis about temporarily creating a safe environment during the time of crisis;

♦ Expanding and enhancing mobile crisis services including Mobile Outreach Response Engagement and Stabilization teams who respond when someone is experiencing a mental health emergency;

♦ Implementing safe storage practices and creating a gun safe storage map with NC SAFE. NC SAFE has distributed more than 75,000 gun locks through state partnerships; and

♦ Created a landing page that gathers all suicide prevention activities across NCDHHS into one clearinghouse: ncdhhs.gov/stopncsuicide

Additionally, NCDHHS partnered with UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Across 100 program, creating 15 teams, representing 24 counties, focused on suicide prevention. In May 2024, the program culminated in a successful Suicide Prevention Summit with more than 400 participants. NCDHHS also showcased its Faith Leaders for Life program, which has trained more than 100 faith leaders in 51 counties, reaching more than 50,000 congregants, particularly in rural and Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

WEBINAR 

Please join the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, Division of Public Health and the NC Suicide Prevention Coordinator to discuss efforts to increase suicide prevention and awareness, identify resources and find ways to participate in spreading the word that help is available.

What: Suicide Prevention Week Lunch and Learn Webinar

When: World Suicide Prevention Day, Tuesday, September 10, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Register for the Webinar at https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItf-2urDgvGqGRI7E-k04DVUOXqA1C-MU.

HELP IS AVAILABLE

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis right now, help is available to anyone, anytime. Call or text 988 or chat at 988Lifeline.org. Individuals who speak Spanish can connect directly to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors by calling 988 and pressing option 2, texting “AYUDA” to 988, or chatting online at 988lineadevida.org or 988Lifeline.org. For additional support, call the NCDHHS Peer Warmline at 1-855-PEERS NC (855-733-7762) to speak with a peer support specialist, someone who understands.