Governor Proclaims September Suicide Awareness Month

On Tuesday September 2, 2014 Governor Dave Heineman conducted a proclamation ceremony naming September Suicide Awareness Month in the state of Nebraska. Attending the ceremony with the Governor were both Co-Chairs of the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition (NSSPC), Dr. Dave Miers of Bryan Medical Center, Dr. Don Belau of Doane College, and several members of the group, which is a voluntary group made up of suicide survivors, private agencies, and passionate Nebraskans who are dedicated to suicide prevention.

Suicide impacts individuals and families of all races, genders, religion, and socioeconomic levels. It is currently the 2nd leading cause of death among 25-34 year olds and the 3rd leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds.

Both Chairs had the opportunity to address the public health problem and reiterate the importance of talking about the often too stigmatized topic. “Some people think that asking someone if they are thinking about suicide plants the thought in their mind,” said Dr. Miers. “That’s simply not true; chances are they will find relief in being able to talk about it. Suicide is preventable and we need to start the conversation.”

To acknowledge Suicide Awareness Month, there will be a handful of events taking place throughout the community. Please go to The Kim Foundation Calendar to see what’s happening.

Resources:
http://www.sprc.org/basics/scope-problem
http://www.suicideprevention.nebraska.edu/index.htm

About Jill Sauser, Project Coordinator, The Kim Foundation
Jill has a B.S. in Journalism (PR/Advertising) and a Minor in Speech Communication from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. During her time at UNO, she completed a two year PR practicum program where she worked with numerous nonprofit clients including the MS Society, The Archdiocese of Omaha, The Omaha Food Bank and YWCA. Jill joined The Kim Foundation as Project Coordinator in April 2014.