suicide prevention

Santa is going to be very busy this season in South Lake Tahoe, not only preparing his gift list for children and keeping the elves busy, but by answering each and every letter left for him in a special mail box.

2020 has been a difficult year for many, and who couldn't use some extra cheer with a letter from the jolly guy in the red suit? He will be responding to each child with a message about kindness and hope during challenging times along with a special personalized certificate of kindness!

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. During the month of September, the El Dorado County (EDC) Behavioral Health Division encourages the community to “know the signs, find the words, and reach out” to prevent suicide, as well as learn about local suicide prevention resources.

Join the Suicide Prevention Network in their efforts to end the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Throughout the month of September, people are encouraged to get outside and walk or hike with friends and family, or on your own. Physical activity and spending time outdoors is good for our mental wellness so this is the perfect time to encourage and empower others to join this movement.

All monies raised benefit the prevention, education and outreach programs at Suicide Prevention Network.

How to Hike for Hope

The California District Attorneys Association today asked NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell to pull a video produced by the league as part of its new Inspire Change campaign because it “misrepresents the facts” of the officer involved shooting death of Sacramento resident Stephon Clark in 2018.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - During the months of March and April 2020 there were five suicides in South Lake Tahoe. That equals the total number of suicides in all of 2019 in the community, and one less than in 2018.

There were none in January or February before the coronavirus hit.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) recently concluded a month-long fundraiser to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Network (SPN).

#NoShaveNovember raised just over $3,672 for the nonprofit that provides families and individuals with support and education within the community.

Involved with the judging was Trish Hamilton who lost her son Dalton Warswick to suicide in September of this year. Dalton had attended both Whittell and Douglas High Schools.

The Lake Tahoe Community College, Foster Kinship Care Education Program would like to invite the community to come together for a Suicide Prevention presentation with Dr. Sonia Rupp, on October 15th, from 6-8 PM, in the Creekside Room at Lake Tahoe Community College.

The presentation is free and open to all.

Suicide is preventable, come gain the tools to make a difference.

RSVP: LTCC.edu/fkce

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Signs highlighting suicide awareness have been placed around the campus of Lake Tahoe Community College, all in preparation for the third annual Awareness Walk: Emily's Walk for Hope on Saturday.

Walk organizer Lisa Utzig Schafer of the Suicide Prevention Network got the signs up in time for the college's new student celebration. The group is inviting the community to participate in the walk that focuses on remembering those lost to suicide and to help end the stigma surrounding suicide.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Fifteen local health programs offered by nonprofits and agencies in the South Lake Tahoe area have been awarded grants by the Barton Foundation. A total of $50,000 was distributed among the groups to aid in their efforts to address the community’s most pressing health issues.

During the 2018 Barton Community Health Needs Assessment, the top health issues identified in the South Lake Tahoe community were access to care, mental health, and substance abuse.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - After the recent tragic events in Douglas County, members of the community thought it would be nice to thank the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office for all their hard work and dedication after the murders and accidental deaths.

For those who are grieving a loss, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time. Gathering together with friends and family may not be enough.

Join the Survivors of Suicide next meeting on December 27 at 6:00 p.m.

Suicide is a public health issue that impacts everyone. For some of us, we are reminded of suicide daily. Yet, it is important to know that suicide can be prevented.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in the United States. The leading reason for suicide is unmanaged depression or a mood disorder. Considering that 20 to 25 percent of Americans are affected by depression, it is important to know the signs that may help save someone’s life.

The National Day of Suicide Awareness will be observed in South Lake Tahoe at the Suicide Prevention Network's 2nd annual Emily's Walk for Hope on Saturday, September 8 at 10:00 a.m. at Lakeview Commons.

Emily’s Walk for Hope was founded last year by longtime local, Susan Alessi who lost her daughter Emily Ann Alessi to suicide in 2014. The purpose of this walk is to honor her life, to remember those around us lost to suicide and to help end the stigma surrounding suicide.

The students at South Tahoe High School (STHS) hosted their first Mental Health Faire on campus for both students and staff during school on Monday, May 7.

A new club on campus started by the El Dorado County chapter of The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) organized the event, bringing the community and school together to help reduce the stigma of mental illness. Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) in the U.S. experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life.

The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) has awarded the Douglas County Sheriff's Office for maintaining the "Custodial Facility of the Year."

Their jail was selected for the prestigious award from over 500 jails and prisons across the country.

DCSO representatives attended the NCCHC ceremony to pick up their award.

No community is immune to loosing one of their own to suicide. A small community faces many of the same risks as do urban centers, and, according to a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicides in rural areas are on the rise.

In just over three years there have been 23 suicides in the Lake Tahoe portions of El Dorado County:

May 1, 2014 - May 1, 2015 - 8 suicides
May 1, 2015 - May 31, 2016 - 4 suicides

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is teaming up with the Family Resource Center to present Suicide Prevention Awareness and Mental Health 101" entirely in Spanish on Tuesday, September 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the Unites States among ages 15-34 and third leading cause of death for those ages 10-14. Four our of every five that die by suicide are male.

"Our hearts go out to the family's who lost loved ones to suicide in the Latino Community this past quarter," said Jeanne Nelson of NAMI-El Dorado.

Barton Health is holding a free lecture, The Signs of Suicide, on Wednesday, September 6 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College Board Room in South Lake Tahoe.

Alisa Merino of the Suicide Prevention Network will be presenting this important subject during Suicide Prevention Month.

Learn how to identify people who may have thoughts of suicide. Be able to ask directly about the possibility of suicide. Connect people to life-saving resources.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

In an average year, the United States will lose 44,000 people to suicide.

It is an unbearable and eye opening statistic, and the Suicide Prevention Network is trying to change that number by offering education and awareness in Douglas and El Dorado Counties, and surrounding communities.

Best selling book and Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" has sparked conversation about mental health and suicide among youth after the lead character leaves behind 13 tapes after she kills herself. Each tape tells a different person the part they played in her death.

As a response to the movie and how students will react to it, Lake Tahoe Unified School District intervention counselors will be holding a community panel discussion called "300 Reasons Why Not" on Tuesday, May 30 at South Tahoe Middle School's Multi-Purpose Room starting at 6:00 p.m.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and you may have heard the phrase “each mind matters.”

Why does each mind matter? Mental health is something we all have. Just as our bodies need attention, our minds also need nourishment and care. Suicide rates are increasing and there is a relationship between mental illness and suicide. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about 90 percent of people who die by suicide have experienced mental health issues.

Sometimes in life, events occur that fracture the very foundation on which we stand. Life, as we have known it, is forever changed and we find ourselves in an unexpected struggle, first just to survive and then to move forward.

The Suicide Prevention Network has formed a new Survivors of Suicide loss support group that will meet at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at the Barton Health Public Relations office located at 2092 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Suite 400 in South Lake Tahoe.

Part One in an NPR Ed series on mental health in schools.

You might call it a silent epidemic.

Up to one in five kids living in the U.S. shows signs or symptoms of a mental health disorder in a given year.

So in a school classroom of 25 students, five of them may be struggling with the same issues many adults deal with: depression, anxiety, substance abuse.

And yet most children — nearly 80 percent — who need mental health services won't get them.

The common stressors of everyday life can result in feelings of sadness. But if a person feels sad more days than not and it causes a difference in social, academic, and occupational functioning, it may be signs of a depressive disorder. The day may feel heavy or overwhelming, a person may lose track of time or forget what is important, and things that used to cause joy and pleasure no longer bring happiness. The steps to feel better may seem impossible, but it’s never too late to get support.

Commonly reported signs and symptoms of depressive disorders include: