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Project
100%
Purpose of this document
To outline a concept moving forward in
our suicide prevention, intervention and postvention work
that has the potential of getting us to Zero Suicides
faster.
Rural Counties
Rural Oregon counties have reduced
access to life saving services, ICU beds, a safe room,
crisis response teams, lock boxes and legal systems for safe
gun and medicine storage, drug and alcohol recovery
programs, as well as the lack of adequate housing and food
security. A combination of these factors have come together
to cause suicide rates in Rural and Remote Oregon Counties
to grow faster than in Urban and Suburban
Counties.
It's more serious than it looks.
Research shows that each suicide results in 135 people
exposed (knew the person). The chance of knowing someone who
has died by suicide in a small, rural county versus a large
metro or suburban area, impacts that community at a much
high level.
Project 100%
In the U.S. and Oregon, our eventual
goal is Zero Suicides. In an effort to reverse the direction
suicides are going in Rural Oregon, I propose starting the
development of a variety of programs in an attempt to reach
100% of the citizens in the state at least once.
1. Direct mail program to all
households, apartments and businesses coordinated with a
messaging campaign like the one for CPR, encouraging all
citizens to get trained to learn the signs and what to do.
(The R U OK? Campaign.)
2. Building an R U OK? Community
Culture: First introduced in Curry County on July 21,
2016 when I established a connection with the R U OK?
campaign from Australia. I was granted permission to be an
international partner, using their materials and ones I
might create under very strict design guidelines set forth.
Creating a number of toolkits, crisis wallet cards, and
finally the R U OK? tri-fold brochure during the pandemic,
it is currently in 190 retail locations in Curry and Del
Norte Counties (1)
, thanks to the support of AllCare
and Advanced Health last winter.
3. Building an R U OK? Workplace
Culture: An empathy program for the workplace to reduce
turnover and improve performance by paying attention to the
unique emotional needs of employees. Add a pocket handbook
for small business owners and employees about how to ask R U
OK? at work. Develop industry specific toolkits, i.e. first
responders, public safety, construction, fishing, high tech,
restaurant workers, power and cable line workers, and other
industries that are prevalent in Oregon and have high
suicide rates.
Develop a toolkit to encourage
employees to set up an internal protocol to break the
silence around talking about suicide and set up an awareness
program to recognize when a staff member may need additional
support, which will make the work place safer. Chances are
one of your work family needs to talk. These would help
employees notice a potential crisis before it requires the
involvement of overtaxed behavioral, medical and public
safety systems. Include offering CIT training for law
enforcement certification, especially for road deputies
responding to 988 calls.
4. Not-for-Profit Agencies.
These agencies generally work with the underrepresented,
marginalized population. Develop coordinated toolkits to
address the need in the groups served by these
agencies.
5. Meaningful Lifetime
Mental/Physical Health Care. Study suicidality, and the
impact drug overdose, alcohol, mental diagnosis, etc., has
on people, make plans for the prevention of suicide in this
sector, and develop a media campaign and materials to inform
agency's and the public of resources and plans to break the
stigma of talking about the impact of suicide on the
county.
6. Behavioral Health Service for
Boys and Men. Develop services that are discrete or
anonymous, in non-therapeutic settings which help them
overcome the stigma associated with therapy and seeking help
as showing weakness. Hire more male mental health workers,
social workers, school counselors, crisis line counselors
and peer support specialists to fill an ongoing need for
safe spaces for male clients. Reframe help seeking as
masculine, strong and courageous.
7. All students in public, private
schools, our Community College and those being home
schooled. Age appropriate Toolkits around risks, warning
signs, and projective factors starting in Pre-K, elementary,
secondary, college and learning from home. A Guild for
asking LGBTQIA2S+ students and adults R U OK? Include
trainings in Youth Mental Health First Aid for youth, Youth
QPR, SAVE, and other proven suicidality trainings for
youth.
8. All school administrators,
teachers and staff. Practical tools for coaches,
cafeteria staff, bus drivers, custodians, and a staff room
conversation guide. Include training in Youth Mental Health
First Aid for adults. QPR for adults, and other proven
suicidality trainings.
9. Father Involvement. Toolkit
to increase "Father Involvement"
(2),
starting with Pediatricians, school health and sports
programs and encourage schools to create volunteer
opportunities to increase the involvement of men, and
especially father's. Promote and teach masculine norms that
are inclusive and enhance the health and safety of boys, men
and communities by offering valid options to "toxic"
masculinity with positive images of what it is to be a man.
Test moving some PTA meetings to evenings.
10. Tribal
Communities/Citizens. Connect with tribal Councils to
encourage their elders to incorporate suicidality and
resilience in their training of their youth. Work with elder
guidance to create a specialized toolkit that can be passed
on to the youth by tribal elders.
11. Seniors. Explore how we
might support the OPAL program for isolated
seniors.
12. Veterans. A program to make
sure that 100% of our veterans and military service
personnel are aware of the availability to all Veterans of
behavioral health services, regardless of income level or
service disability. Widespread distribution of the ACEs for
Veterans tri-fold brochure.
13 Faith Based. Engage Faith
Based leaders in their role in preventing suicide with a
major emphasis on the 3rd Saturday/Sunday in May to
celebrate Life, Hope, and Reasons to Live. Equip faith
community leaders to minister to those impacted by suicide.
(3)
14. Migrant Workers. Translate
the current R U OK? tri-fold brochure into Spanish and make
it available to appropriate community organizations, public
school systems, and workforces that employ migrant
employees, usually on a part time basis.
15. Gun clubs, retailers, shooting
ranges, and gun owners. Widespread distribution of the
"People who love guns love you" tri-fold brochure on
supporting gun safety, trigger lock distribution, and
establishment and mapping safe storage locations. Offer gun
owners lethal means specific QPR and Counseling on Access to
Lethal Means (CALM).
16. Pet Shelters and
Veterinarians. A Toolkit to train employees to be aware
of people turning in their beloved pet to be taken care of
and what steps to take and questions to ask in the
acceptance process.
17. Motels. A Toolkit to train
motel staff, especially front desk employees, to notice and
address the special circumstances where people "often check
in to kill themselves there." via overdose or to die by
other suicidal means.
18. Barbershops and Hair/Nail
Salons. Toolkit offering information, talking tips and
resources on suicidality when one of their loyal clients
expresses suicidal ideation. Offer QPR training for
employees.
19. Research. Encourage the
collection of more extensive suicidality data by the County
Medical Examiner to include age, sex (MAAB/FAAB) and gender
identity, race/ethnicity, and Urban, Suburban, Rural or
Remote residence data.
20. Focus Groups. Used to
identify the needs of specific marginalized groups in rural
and remote areas.
"The closer we get to 100%,
the closer we get to Zero Suicides."
Sources:
(1) http://www.ZeroAttempts.org/partners.html
(2) http://www.ZeroAttempts.org/father-involvement.html
(3) http://www.ZeroAttempts.org/faith-based.html
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