Governor Doug Ducey held a virtual press conference at Hamilton High School Thursday to address the suicide prevention initiative in Arizona.
Ducey declared September 6 – 12, 2020 Suicide Prevention Awareness Week in Arizona to bring attention to the matter.
At the press conference, Ducey said, “1,500 Arizonans died by suicide” in 2019, averaging one death every six hours. The CDC also said that more than one in 10 adults report thoughts of suicide within 30 days, which has more than doubled since 2018.
“Arizona is united in this effort, together we are working collaboratively to ensure no one falls through the cracks,” Ducey said.
Sen. Kate Brophy McGee and Rep. Jeff Weninger introduced Jake’s Law, a bill passed in March of 2020 to help cover mental health without any difficulty to people in need across the state.
Ducey said Jake’s Law is the “law of the land,” due to the resources being made available to families.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kathy Hoffman, said, “the risk (in committing suicide) is especially pronounced for young people.”
Ducey stated suicide is the leading cause of death in children ages 10 to 14.
About 15,000 students in schools have been provided with behavioral health services, said Snyder. Ducey states it’s “a 28% increase in the number of students accessing student-based care.” Such services include therapy, counseling and behavioral health assessments.
Now that classes are remote, providers are continuing to help students via telephone and online.
“This all hands-on deck collaboration is practically unprecedented and should be looked at as a model for how communities can come together and save and improve lives,” Ducey said.
Hoffman also said that LGBTQ and Native American students are the most likely to commit suicide.
Director of Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) Jami Snyder said, “One in five youth will experience a mental health challenge.”
The Arizona Department of Education School Safety and Social Wellness team is working closely with AHCCCS to provide free suicide prevention training to school staff and community members.
“AHCCS has accelerated its efforts to ensure ready access to services for students struggling with depression, anxiety and stress and particularly now as students are faced with navigating an unfamiliar world in the midst of a global pandemic,” Snyder said.
The Resilient Arizona Crisis Counseling Program offers free guidance to people in the community and provides emotional support, crisis counseling and connections to community resources. Over 10,000 individuals have been helped.
In 2019, the governor signed the Mitch Warnock Act, which provides prevention training to teachers and staff in school districts from grades 6-12.
State Senator Sean Bowie, the sponsor of the bill, said, “students look to us for encouragement, stability and hope,” and that they feel grateful to offer such a relief to people.
In January of 2020, the Arizona Department of Health launched the Arizona Suicide Action Plan to improve mental health. Researches have been collecting data and discovering treatment options for people in every community. A bullying prevention training for school districts is available virtually for staff.
Dr. Christ said the training is to “focus on creating positive home climates to promote learning, prevent stress and protect young people against cyberbullying.”
So far 21 training sessions have been administered in Arizona.
“Suicide is preventable and there are resources that can help,” Christ said.
The director of Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, Colonel Wanda Wright, said veteran suicides have exceeded 6,000 each year from 2008 to 2017.
“In Arizona, the risk of suicide is three times higher for veterans than non-veterans,” Col. Wright said.
To help combat the issue, the Be Connected Program was established in 2017 to help prevent veteran suicide. Financial assistance, peer support and behavioral health services are among the resources offered to Arizona veterans, service members and their families.
There is a “larger, ongoing mental health crisis” with veterans, according to Col. Wright.
Over 500,000 veterans are currently in this program and are receiving help.
Col. Wright urges people to call 911 if they or someone they know is contemplating suicide. Call 1-866-FORAZVETS (866-429-8387) to receive help from the Be Connected program.
Ducey added that individuals are “never alone, there is help and there is always hope.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (800-273-8255).
Contact the reporter at mcordone@asu.edu.
