Select Board recognizes Suicide Prevention Month

Sep 7, 2021

The Select Board voted on Sept. 7 to recognize Suicide Prevention Month, which is observed in September.

Jennie Babcock and Laura Rosenthal of the Plymouth County Suicide Prevention Coalition joined the meeting.

Babcock, who lost a family member to suicide, said that suicide is a national health problem.

Last year, she said, more Americans committed suicide than would be able to sit in Fenway Park.

Per Centers for Disease Control data, 44,834 people died by suicide in the United States in 2020. Suicide was the 11th most common cause of death in 2020.

The Board voted to sign a proclamation, which notes that suicide is a community health problem that needs a community response.

“It’s an important topic, and it’s a tough topic,” said board member Peter Teitelbaum.

Board Chair Judith Whiteside said that her daughter works on suicide prevention with the United States Coast Guard, so she is aware of the scope of the problem.

The proclamation included several ideas for local initiatives, contributed by the coalition:
-Develop and implement strategies to reduce the stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention services
-Develop and implement community- based suicide prevention programs and suicide bereavement support services
-Implement training for the recognition of at-risk behavior and for the delivery of the effective treatment

It’s unclear what steps the town will take towards those goals.

In the U.S., the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 and online chat support is also available.

Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor from anywhere in the U.S. at any time, about any type of crisis.

For more about the coalition, go to www.plymouthcountyspc.org.