A Ray of Hope in San Diego County
SOSL Highlighted in the Suicide Prevention Council Report to the Community 2015
The San Diego Suicide Prevention Council is a community-wide collaborative focused of realizing a vision of zero suicides in San Diego County. The SPC recently presented the 2015 Report to the Community. The goal of the report is to share the most recent information available and to bring awareness to the community about suicide. For the first time in recent years, the report shared encouraging news. In 2014, the number of suicides in the county decreased by 21, a 5.7% reduction from the prior year. During that same period, the number of calls to the Access and Crisis hotline rose showing the increase in people seeking help. Other resources such as the It’s Up to Us, a suicide prevention and mental health website, and SPC sponsored gatekeeper training, Question, Persuade, and Refer, (QPR) were more widely utilized than in prior years. As we work towards reducing the stigma associated with suicide and mental illness, we would expect the number of individuals seeking and connecting with available resources to increase. The statistics and data shared in the report indicate that is happening in San Diego County:
o Suicides down 21 in 2014
o 5.7% reduction – first decline in recent history
o Crisis calls to the Access and Crisis Line are up 15% – connecting more people with resources
o QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Trainings up 17%
o It’s Up to US website visits up 36% – Facebook fans up 21%
SOSL participates in the SPC as one of the community partners working towards the prevention of suicide. In the September 2015 Report, SOSL was acknowledged as one of the local suicide prevention organizations. The article highlighted our Survivor Support Program, which includes our support groups, phone, and email support, as well as other valuable resources. In addition, the information about SOSL’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program was included in the report. This was a wonderful opportunity to share how SOSL supports survivors while simultaneously working to break down stigma and educate the community about mental health and suicide.
Read the entire SPC 2015 Report (pdf).
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