September is Suicide Prevention Month
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is wrapping up Suicide Prevention Month by announcing new and extended partnerships to save lives in Wisconsin.
DHS has extended its four-year partnership with Aspirus Health and formed a new alliance with CALM America. CALM stands for Counseling on Access to Lethal Means. The work with Aspirus and CALM America aims to train licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals and give healthcare workers and Wisconsin communities the knowledge and resources they need to help prevent suicide deaths.
Under this enhanced partnership, Aspirus will now expand its work to provide training to communities in their service area on how to use the Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) method. QPR focuses on asking questions of someone who is considering suicide and persuading them not to harm themselves, then recommending that they seek help for their mental health concerns. The partnerships will also bolster education and training for both licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals to improve their skills to support tele-mental health services.
“We’re excited about the potential of these projects to reduce suicide deaths in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Tony Evers. “Beyond helping more providers and community members recognize the warning signs of suicide and addressing gaps in healthcare access, both partnerships reduce and remove the stigma around mental health discussions and strongly encourage the kind of open and honest conversations that can save lives.”
The partnerships continue the state’s work to prevent suicide among Wisconsinites with the highest rates of suicide: Men over age 25 who live in rural communities. Each partnership includes a focus on ensuring training and support reaches rural communities that have limited access to healthcare resources.
“Through these partnerships, we can reach people who sometimes struggle to find support,” said Paula Tran, Wisconsin state health officer. “These partnerships will help achieve the goal of reducing suicide deaths in our state.”
Suicide is preventable, and everyone can play a role in reducing suicide deaths in the state. If someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, steps you can take to help them include:
- Ask the person if they are thinking about suicide.
- Be there for the person and show support, either through being physically present, talking on the phone when you can, or through other means.
- Keep them safe by reducing access to lethal items or places while they are in crisis.
- Help them connect with professional and community resources and services.
- Follow-up with them after connecting them with services to see how they are doing.
Find more information on Wisconsin’s work to prevent suicide, the signs that someone may be considering suicide, and ways to help others in crisis on the DHS suicide prevention webpage.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, support from trained counselors is available 24/7 through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Line. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
