Prevent Suicide PA is the leading non-profit organization in Pennsylvania focused on developing and disseminating suicide prevention trainings, increasing awareness about suicide, improving collaborations around suicide prevention, and reducing the stigma associated with suicide loss. We believe that one suicide is too many and are committed to serving communities across the Commonwealth to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide.
Pennsylvania and Suicide
In 2017, suicide accounted for 2,030 deaths in Pennsylvania. This is an increase of 23% from 5 years prior (2013). Across the country over the same time span, the suicide death rate increased by 10.8%. Pennsylvania continues to have more individuals die by suicide than the national average, and current statistics suggest that this problem in the Commonwealth is increasing at an alarming rate.
Too often, preventing suicide is perceived to rest in the hands of those in the mental health field. As a society, we believe that these individuals are the most appropriately trained to work with those who may be suicidal. Yet, research suggests that only about 25% of individuals who die by suicide were involved in treatment at the time of their death. Clearly, suicide prevention is so much more. At Prevent Suicide PA, we believe that prevention includes educating natural gatekeepers and members of the community on how to identify those who may be at risk for suicide and teach them effective ways to be responsive and guide them to appropriate services. Prevention includes raising public awareness, so that conversations about suicide are in the open and individuals no longer feel they must suffer in their own silence. Prevention is working with local and state government to develop legislation that would improve our ability for members in the public and private sectors to educate themselves, develop effective and impactful interventions to engage those with thoughts of suicide, and increase access points to service delivery. Prevention is working with individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one or friend, because research clearly shows that appropriate management around suicide deaths can decrease the likelihood that suicides will occur in those affected by the loss. Prevention is all of these things and so much more.
$500 pays for 20 people to be trained in Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR)
$2,000 pays for 25 people to be trained in Mental Health First Aid
$3,500 pays for 20 people to be trained in a 2-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
$5,000 pays for 10 people to become QPR trainers, allowing them to go into communities and provide the QPR training themselves
$10,000 pays for the development of new content for our Online Learning Center that can be viewed by anyone from clinicians to community members to families
$35 covers the individual fee for one-time Continuing Education credits for either our Online Learning Center or the annual conference
$400 covers the annual Continuing Education fee for each discipline (i.e., social work, psychology, etc.) that we could cover on both our Online Learning Center and annual conference
$30,000 covers all expenses (trainers’ fees and travel, space, food, etc.) for a 2-day clinical workshop for up to 30 clinical professionals on evidence-based suicide assessment and interventions to better assist this population to effectively assess and treat individuals at high risk for suicide
$6,000 covers the expenses of a LOSS training for up to 30 individuals to improve strategies to interact with and support families immediately after the suicide loss of a loved one
$250 purchases decals for one car to share information about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and other resources
$60 supports admission and concessions for one PSA winner or a family member to attend one of the suicide prevention awareness nights at a major league ballpark
$500 pays for 16 PSA contest winners and their family members to receive an official pre-game tour of Citizens Bank Park and photo opportunity with the Phanatic at Suicide Prevention Night at the Phillies
$2,000 covers annual technical assistance fees to support the online voting application of the PSA contest
$5,000 supports the purchase of 2,500 PSA winning posters for distribution at awareness events and school-based training activities
$1,000 pays for 1,000 HELP cards, designed to assist with appropriate immediate response when interacting with those who may be suicidal
$2,000 allows for annual vetting of regional, national, and international materials and programs to be including in a Resource Clearinghouse on the Prevent Suicide PA website
$3,000 pays for print materials and a variety of swag items for distribution at awareness events, designed to draw people to resources available on the Prevent Suicide PA website
$250 scholarships one attendee at our annual conference
$250 provides travel support for one attendee at our annual conference
$2,000 covers speakers’ fees and travel expenses at local awareness events
$7,000 covers speakers’ fees and travel expenses for plenary speakers at our annual conference
$500 covers the expenses of attending county-specific task force meetings to assist local task forces with their prevention efforts
$1,500 supports annual technical assistance fees for an online message board system to assist county-based task force leaders and their members organize meetings and notes about upcoming efforts
$2,500 cover the expenses of hosting a regional suicide prevention task force meeting with county-based leaders
