Amanda McIntosh of the Southeast Utah Health Department (SEUHD) and the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties began their quarterly meeting with great news: Utah is no longer sixth in the nation for suicide. That number dropped and the state is now in ninth.
McIntosh explained that in the last couple of years, due to COVID-19 and other issues, suicide was bumped down in the list. She stated that it is hopeful to see that suicide deaths are declining. Wyoming is the number one state in the nation for suicide and Alaska is the second.
She then spoke on the Live On Utah campaign grant that is aimed toward getting area-specific suicide messaging in the community. There are two billboards that are in the Carbon County area that highlight reaching out to someone that needs help along with two in Green River. They were unable to secure one that is specific to Grand County, which is a focus for the summer.
Part of that campaign, McIntosh explained, was working with Janarie Cammans to take photos of coal miners in front of a load-out and that marketing will be locally based. The squad is hopeful that with those photos, they can create table-top campaigns to create a discussion piece. There are also banners that have been created that will be placed at USU Eastern’s BDAC, in Carbon High School, Mont Harmon Middle School and more.
Shelly Wright, Director of the Children’s Justice Center (CJC), then spoke about suicide prevention, stating that every child that comes to the CJC is given a suicide screen. If the child is between the ages of six and 11, parents complete the screen.
Depending on how the children respond to the screen, Wright explained that it allows them to give follow-up questions. If they score in a certain way, they attempt to get them connected to a mental health therapist for their trauma. If it is an even higher score, they address the situation more immediately. This program was launched about three years ago and is a partnership with the University of Utah and Primary Children’s.
McIntosh then shared that May is Suicide Awareness Month. Traditionally, the main message has been to reach out. This year, the focus is turning to “More for Mental Health,” which McIntosh stated is really important to have emphasized.
This is important as McIntosh said that insurances and companies are not holding up their end of the bargain when it comes to assisting people in need of mental health care in terms of counseling, medications and the like. She stated that this is a call to action for providers, hospitals and others to go out of their way to help those that are in need.
Turning to upcoming events, on May 12 at USU Eastern’s Jennifer Leavitt Student Center, there will be a Community Education Dinner that will begin at 6 p.m. There will be a professor from USU who’s focus of study has been on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and building resilience with children with those experiences. McIntosh stated that this dinner will provide a clear picture of what ACE’s are and how to counter them.
There is also a Never Give Up 5K that is taking place in Emery County on June 11. It was stated that this is likely going to be more on the fun run side rather than an official 5K, due to the desire to make it more community involved. Tentatively, this will be on the walkway in Huntington, beginning somewhere around JN Auto. Afterward, there will be a cookout that will be free for the community with food from Gettin’ Our Smoke On.