BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

CANTON — Members of the St. Lawrence County Suicide Awareness Coalition are taking steps to education the public about mental health concerns in an effort to reduce the number of suicides throughout St. Lawrence County.

Officials with the coalition recently presented the organization’s future plans during the county legislature’s full board meeting on Sept. 11.

Officials with the coalition say the county has been struck by a number of high profile suicides in recent years.

Officials say they met with a number of organizations and coalitions in 2022 to enhance and refine the coalition's offerings.

New systems were put into place, along with the creation of new bylaws, as part of the new plan.

Member agreements were also created and a new member recruitment pack was created to boost the coalition's numbers.

According to Coalition Chair Lindsay Best, a steering committee was formed to hold monthly meetings that will help guide the coalition's efforts and to make important decisions about its future.

The steering committee consists of Alexa Backus Chase, Lindsay Best, Patti Hogle, Anne Marie Snell, Jay Ulrich, Michele Catlin and Mary Wills.

The executive committee also consists of a number of members, including Chair Lindsay Best, Vice Chair Anne Marie Snell, Treasurer/Secretary Michele Catlin, Education Workgroup Chair Alexa Backus Chase and Awareness Workgroup Chair Patti Hogle.

The coalition also has a clear mission statement now, she said.

“The St. Lawrence County Suicide Awareness Coalition works to cultivate a resilient community by providing education, training, services and support in order to reduce the number of deaths by suicide in St. Lawrence County. Through addressing and reducing stigma, via education and awareness activities, the Coalition has a vision that the St. Lawrence County community is well educated, trained and service rich for mental health, leading to zero suicides,” the statement reads.

Backus-Chase also spoke to the seriousness of suicide in the county, breaking down a number of figures for legislators.

According to Backus-Chase, there have been 11 suicides in St. Lawrence County thus far in 2023.

In 2022, the county experienced 12, while 2021 saw nearly 20 suicides county wide.

In the majority of instances, men are more likely to commit suicide, with all suicides in 2023 being men, she said.

Since 2006, the county has seen nearly 300 suicides, with the most coming in the 40 to 49 year age bracket with 45 suicides. Persons in the 50-59 year age bracket rank second with 43 suicides and persons in the 20-29 year age bracket rank third with 36 total.

In most cases, Backus-Chase said suicides come from firearm use, however other methods have included hanging and overdoses on medications.

Officials with the coalition track the deaths by obtaining coroner reports, though it is not always possible to obtain the information from each report, she said.

Due to the increasing number of suicides, Backus-Chase said the coalition have stepped up efforts to help remove the stigma about seeking help for mental health issues while raising awareness about suicide prevention.

Education has been a large focus for the group, with QPR training being a large facet.

QPR training is a 60 to 90 minute, lifesaving, evidence-based suicide prevention intervention training, officials say.

Like CPR, QPR is a simple process anyone can be trained to use to help save a life of someone contemplating suicide.

QPR training allows them to recognize risk factors and warning signs of suicide, know how to offer hope and know how to get help and save a life.

A total of 120 individuals have received QPR training to date including individuals in higher education, law enforcement, school nurses, hospital staff, inpatient substance use treatment, office for the aging meal site staff and veterans.

Classes are free and sponsored by the St. Lawrence County Suicide Awareness Coalition with class sizes ranging from 15-25 attendees with no more than 35 allowed, officials say.

Coalition members have also been raising awareness for suicide prevention through a 988 billboard campaign in recent months. 988 is the national suicide prevention hotline.

Coalition members are also reaching out to students in area schools through “Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health,” Backus-Chase said.

The initiative, held in conjunction with the St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau and St. Lawrence County People Project, is a “proactive approach to support mental health which is both data-driven and evidence informed.”

Backus-Chase said the coalition is teaching students self-care strategies in a non-threatening way to self-identify the warning signs and how to practice healthy coping exercises.

Students are also taught how to learn characteristics of trusted adults and “how to open communication when it’s uncomfortable due to feelings and fears.”

The program was introduced in the spring of 2023 and has visited 12 school districts so far, including Ogdensburg, Hermon-DeKalb, Heuvelton and Norwood-Norfolk.

Backus-Chase said the coalition plans to schedule more events with area schools and classrooms throughout this fall.

Through it all, the coalition hopes to continue to leverage key partnerships throughout the county to continue to raise awareness about suicide prevention, officials say.

Partnerships with organizations like the Seaway Valley Prevention Council, Health Initiative, St. Lawrence County Public Health and New York State Office of Mental Health will allow the coalition to push forward in its mission, officials say.