The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the largest suicide prevention organization in the United States, has launched Project 2025 to lead a plan of action aimed at the organization's bold goal of reducing the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025. More than 400 walks around the nation spread awareness and raise the funds required for scientific research, education, resources and legislation directly related to suicide prevention, mood disorders and depression. The four key areas of focus for Project 2025 are firearms (nearly half of all suicides are by firearms), healthcare systems (many individuals who die by suicide visit their primary care physician the month prior), emergency departments (many individuals make a visit to the emergency room in the year prior to a suicide) and corrections systems (suicide is the leading cause of all jail deaths).

The AFSP provides educational programs that explain risk factors and warning signs, and focus on prevention. The AFSP also partners with organizations to promote gun safety as well as advocate for mental health care on the local and national level.

Two-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) workshops are provided to teach people how to support people actively thinking about suicide, also referred to as a “person with thoughts”. The training focuses on keeping a person with thoughts safe; explores attitudes about suicide; teaches how to help a person with thoughts talk about their problems and teaches the caregiver how to hear and offer support; and supports the caregiver as well as the person with thoughts. The program explains how to apply mental health first aid to someone who desperately needs it.

Locally, people are being encouraged to talk about suicide. The language regarding suicide is being changed to reduce the stigma of shame and/or fear. For example, the phrase “committed suicide” is replaced with “died by suicide”. The word committed implies that a crime was committed, which it was not. A suicide-safer community is being developed by teaching people how to recognize the signs of suicide and how to develop a plan to keep a person contemplating suicide safe.

An ASIST two-day workshop is being offered on Monday & Tuesday, May 4 – 5 at Oakwood United Methodist Church. The Oakwood Board of Health is very supportive of this workshop. Also, one-hour programs, such as “Talk Saves Lives” and “Its Real” are also available upon request.

Dr. Wilson and Mrs. Fulford ended their presentation by providing their contact information, as well as the Suicide Prevention Lifeline contact number. As a last thought, they shared that 5,200 youth died last year by suicide. Less than 150 students have died in school shootings since 2001. This national health crisis must be addressed.

Mayor Duncan thanked Dr. Wilson and Mrs. Fulford for their efforts and for being great community leaders.

Mrs. Fulford commented that the first breast cancer walk was nineteen years ago. Their hope is to make suicide awareness as familiar as breast cancer awareness has become.

Chief Hill reported that four Oakwood Public Safety Officers will attend the ASIST two-day workshop on Monday & Tuesday, May 4 – 5. A recent incident involving an individual actively thinking about suicide facilitated discussion on the resources and training that the Public Safety Department receives to support a person with thoughts. This training is a great opportunity for the Public Safety Department to learn about the best way to help a person with thoughts, as well as the individual's family and/or caregivers. Chief Hill thanked Dr. Wilson and Mrs. Fulford for hosting this workshop locally. Chief Hill closed his comments by stating that if the Public Safety Department is able to help one person after the workshop, the training was completely worth it.

Mayor Duncan commended the Public Safety Department for their participation in the workshop.