By Amanda McIntosh and Mersades Morgan
Thank you for participating in all of the healing events September offered to our communities. Multiple events were held to celebrate Recovery and bring awareness to Suicide Prevention. The vast amount of support and resources in Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties is truly unique, impressive and amazing.
We hope you found healing and pride at USARA’s Recovery Day events and hope and connection at the Candlelight Vigil for survivors of suicide loss hosted by the Southeast Utah Health Department and the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties and the annual Southeast Utah Hope Walk in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The hosts of these events, the partners, sponsors and attendees make these events successful with the support of the community and with people willing to share in the passion for prevention.
Mersades Morgan with USARA said that “we envision a Utah where recovery community and connection are recognized as the most valuable asset for people to recover from Substance Use Disorders. Our message is hope, and that recovery is possible.” For more information on USARA or to get involved please visit myusara.com or visit the local Recovery Community Organization at 91 E. Main St. Price, UT 84501.
Amanda McIntosh with the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties encouraged everyone in the community to attend a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training to learn how to save a life. She added that “everyone in our community has a role to play in suicide prevention and awareness, because we are all deeply impacted when we lose a loved one individually but the loss ripples throughout the community.” For more information about the SEUHD HOPE Squad, please visit facebook.com/hopesquadcarbonandemery or visit the local Health Department at your local location in Price, Castle Dale, or Moab (seuhealth.gov/community-health/).
Looking forward, USU Extension HEART Initiative and the Southeast Utah Health Department are excited to announce a new event coming in March 2025. “Elevating Hope: Taking Substance Use Disorder and Suicide Prevention to New Altitudes” will be a day and a half-long summit that the whole state of Utah will be invited to attend.
The overall goal of the summit will be to bring innovative and new approaches to the links found between these two incredibly important public health concerns while providing hope that by working outside our silos, we can make a difference. Some of the topics will include diving into the data both locally and statewide, showing the relationship between substance use disorder and suicides, soul exhaustion, advocacy work and much more. This event is slated for Thursday, March 20, 2025 and Friday, March 21, 2025 at USU Eastern in Price, UT. More details will be published soon. Save the Date!!!
