|
Greetings!
June is National Men's Health
Month! Nationwide, suicide rates are
highest among males, particularly male
veterans, teens and young adults, and senior
populations. Organized to promote the
"awareness of preventable health problems and
the early detection and treatment of disease
among men and boys," this Month offers an
opportunity to become educated on the often
preventable health problems men will face
throughout their lives. The awareness period
is sponsored by the Men's Health Network and
The Congressional Health Education Program.
CrisisLink serves all populations
with our comprehensive crisis and suicide
prevention services, information and
referrals, community trainings, and
postvention support.
To learn more
about men's health
month, click
here.
Also, check out the resources below to learn
more about men's health:
|
|
|
Senior Suicide: A Preventable Tragedy
Fact: Each day, nearly 15 adults over the age of 65 die by suicide in the United States.
Senior populations in the United States have
the highest rates of suicide. Older adult
males, in particular, are seven times more
likely to die by suicide than older females.
Risk factors for older adult suicide include
social isolation, loss of a spouse or loved
one, mental and physical illness, and loss of
memory. Barriers to care and heightened
stigma are also risk factors. As the Baby
Boomer generation reaches retirement age,
this problem will continue to grow and the
need for suicide prevention strategies will
increase.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who
lost his father to suicide, has introduced
the Stop Senior Suicide Act (S. 1854, HR
4897) to give seniors better access to
psychological care-a critical suicide
prevention strategy.
The proposed
legislation includes 4 key components: the
development of an interagency planning
council to discuss and generate suicide
prevention strategies for older adults;
grants to public and private institutions to
plan and implement suicide prevention plans
for seniors; funding for nonprofit programs
serving seniors; and a revision to the
Medicare outpatient co-payment policy for
those seeking mental health services from 50%
to 20%, bringing it in line with the
co-payment for other, non-mental health
outpatient services.
CrisisLink has long served seniors at risk of
suicide. Our free and confidential 24/7
crisis and suicide prevention hotlines have
been there for seniors since 1969. Our
senior outreach expanded in 2002 with the
launch of CareRing, a daily check-in phone
service for the elderly, the chronically ill,
and other homebound individuals
Funding from the Carson J. Spencer Foundation
has allowed CrisisLink to develop and present
multi-culturally sensitive depression
awareness and suicide prevention workshops at
middle- and low-income retirement communities
throughout the region. Armed with this
information, residents and staff are
empowered to help themselves and each other
cope with depression and thoughts of suicide.
CrisisLink's LOSS Team (Local Outreach to
Suicide Survivors) responds to suicides and
traumatic events at retirement homes and
elsewhere in the community to guide those
affected through the process of restoring
order to chaotic situations and to provide
the information and resources needed to
continue with the healing process.
|
|
|
|
|
Paradigm Shift in the Military Will Help Reduce Suicide Rate
Fact: 120 veterans reportedly die by suicide each week.
The growing focus on mental health, suicide,
and depression in our armed forces is causing
a shift in the military's views on mental
illness.
Stigma surrounding mental illness has long
prevented soldiers and veterans from seeking
mental health services, thus hampering
efforts to recognize and treat
depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,
and suicidal thoughts.
Recent alarming reports demonstrate the need
for more comprehensive mental health services
and treatment.
Last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
announced that service members would no
longer have to report whether they had sought
treatment for mental health problems related
to combat stress in order to gain security
clearance for national security positions.
This policy change marks a shift in thinking
within the Department of Defense.
CrisisLink is proud to serve our troops
facing crisis, suffering from depression, and
experiencing other combat-related ailments
such as PTSD. Seed funding from Azalea
Charities, Inc. and Prince Leopold d'Arenberg
of Europe is allowing CrisisLink to provide
nationally recognized suicide and crisis
prevention training for the staff of the U.S.
Army's Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline
(WSFH). CrisisLink is also working to
establish a Vet-2-Vet Peer Hotline to allow
veterans in crisis to speak with other
veterans volunteering as Hotline Listeners.
The military and veterans rely on
CrisisLink's Hotlines as well. The Army's
WSFH transfers serious, suicide-related calls
to CrisisLink's highly trained Hotline
Listeners and CrisisLink has been formally
designated as a back-up center for the
National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline/Veteran's Affairs Hotline, meaning
calls they're not able to answer are routed
to our Hotlines and answered by our
Listeners. The men and women serving our
country deserve the best care possible and
we're glad we can be of assistance.
Are you a veteran or currently serving in
our armed forces? CrisisLink encourages
people
with military experience to join our Hotlines
as volunteer Hotline Listeners. Click
here for the training schedule or contact
Lindsay Paulette-Chapman at 703-527-6016 to
learn more about becoming a Hotline Listener.
|
|
|
|
|
Top Needs/Issues of Callers
While no two calls are the same, common needs are evident.
CrisisLink's crisis and suicide prevention
hotlines are essential components of our
region's suicide prevention efforts. Being
there for people at risk of suicide
before they reach the breaking point
is vital to reducing the number of suicides
in the region.
CrisisLink is handling more and more serious
suicide calls during the critical overnight
hours and is initiating more life-saving
emergency interventions than ever before.
However, we're also connecting with those at
higher
risk of suicide before they reach the
breaking point, thus preventing many
unnecessary tragedies.
In May, the top issues experienced by callers
to CrisisLink's Hotlines were anxiety,
depression, and mental illness-all high risk
factors of suicide. Being there for these
callers before they reach the breaking point
helps them return to normalcy, preventing
countless tragedies.
In addition to providing support for those in
crisis and at risk of suicide through our
crisis and suicide prevention hotlines,
CrisisLink connects people to needed health
and human services through 2-1-1 VIRGINIA.
In times of economic downturn, financial
hardship increases the demand for services
that provide aid to those in need. And our
call data confirms this. The most common
needs of callers to 2-1-1 last month were utility
assistance, rent and mortgage aid, and
emergency shelter and food. At a time when
foreclosures are forcing people out of their
homes, CrisisLink is connecting those who are
struggling with sources of housing and
financial assistance.
CrisisLink helps people keep their lives in
balance mentally, physically, and emotionally.
|
|
|
|
|
CrisisLink in the Community
May Trainings demonstrate broad reach of services
Suicide does not single out any one age,
race, gender, or ethnicity. CrisisLink's
community trainings in suicide and crisis
prevention reach all populations.
Soldiers and Veterans
CrisisLink continues to provide training in
active listening, crisis de-escalation, and
suicide prevention for call center
staff of the Army's Wounded Soldier
and Family Hotline.
Teens and Young Adults
Last month alone, CrisisLink provided 20
hours of teen and young adult depression
awareness and suicide prevention trainings at
St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in
Annandale. CrisisLink also co-sponsored the
4th Annual "Bridging the Gap" Conference on
Youth Depression on May 13 in Fairfax, a
conference we originally founded with the Fairfax
Partnership for Youth.
Other community education trainings in May
included:
- Seniors: Depression awareness &
suicide prevention training for staff of
Capital Hospice.
- Homeless: A day-long training on
stress reduction techniques for Arlington's
A-SPAN employees who work with homless
populations
- Suicide Survivors: Through the
Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program,
CrisisLink provided a day-long Postvention
"Hope & Healing" workshop in Utica, New York,
for a group of state agencies and non-profit
organizations serving upper-central New York
State.
|
|
Thank you for your support!
|
|