The Clackamas County Suicide Prevention Coalition will be holding a community listening session at Lee Elementary School next week to hear from Canby residents about suicide prevention in Clackamas County. They want to listen to as many individuals and groups as possible who have been impacted by suicide and deepen their understanding of what puts people in our community at risk and what helps keep them safe, what is working and what is missing.
This will be a 90 minute session, where representatives from the coalition will ask questions about your observations of the risks, factors that keep people safe and your ideas about preventing suicide. The conversation will be recorded, but the names and identities of those who participate will be kept confidential. The county is specifically asking for participation from local teachers, parents, youth over 18, grandparents, clergy and faith community members, first responders and anyone else who is interested.
The listening session will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Lee Elementary, 1110 S Ivy. Download and share the flyer with your community here. For more information, contact Kathy Turner, kturner@clackamas.us or 503-742-5962.
A few facts about suicide prevention:
- 94 percent of adults think suicide can be prevented.
- More than 9 in 10 adults say they would do something if someone close to them was contemplating suicide.
- Nearly 4 in 5 adults are interested in learning more about how they might be able to play a role in helping someone who may be suicidal.
- When it comes to their own health, 4 in 5 US adults say mental health and physical health are equally important. In our current health care system, however, 55 percent of adults say physical health is prioritized over mental health.
Canby is dealing with the tragedy of three teen suicides this year, two in February and one in June.