Our Mission:
Reduce suicide in Buffalo County with a focus on education, prevention, intervention, and mental wellness promotion.
Our Vision:
Instilling hope & healing by empowering mental wellness to save lives.
Goals
- Address unhealthy responses to life stressors.
- Reduce the number of suicide attempts throughout Buffalo County.
Key Activities
- Address the link between mental health and substance abuse.
- Identify those at risk for hopelessness.
- Reduce barriers to use of mental health resources.
- Promote mental wellness in the workplace.
Partners
- Center for Psychological Services
- Law Enforcement
- Faith Leaders
- Richard Young Behavioral Health
- Region 3 Behavioral Health Services
- Central Nebraska LOSS Team
- Education and Civic Volunteers
- CHI Health Good Samaritan
- The World Theatre
- University of Nebraska at Kearney
- S.A.F.E. Center
- Buffalo County Attorney’s Office
Important Data
- In 2016, 12.9% of high schoolers reported attempting suicide in the last 12 months.
- In 2016, 24.1% of youth reported feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing usual activities.
- In 2016, 13.3% of adults reported their mental health was not good on 10 of the last 30 days.
- In 2016, 48% of UNK students in 2016 reported feeling things were hopeless in the last 12 months.
- Over 350 people for suicide prevention at our initial Community Gathering event in 2016.
- Over 20 youth engage in Youth Mental Health First Aid training events at their schools in the 2017-18 school year.
Latest News:
The Suicide Prevention Coalition partners with local organizations for Hope and Healing events:
Response to the Netflix Series Thirteen Reasons Why
Update (5/18/18): Season two of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why will be released Friday, May 18th. This very popular series will, once again, generate significant media attention as well as questions and discussions among our youth, parents and educators. The Suicide Prevention Coalition strongly supports the need for positive discussion leading up to and after the release of the new season. This toolkit provides resources for parents, educators, clinicians, media and youth.
The Buffalo County Suicide Prevention Coalition suggests parents talk to their teen about a new Netflix series, Thirteen Reasons Why (stylized as TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY) based on a 2007 young adult novel written by Jay Asher.
Youths in Buffalo County are watching this series. This series is rated for Mature Audiences and not appropriate for youth. The Coalition encourages parents to talk to your child about the series. If he/she is watching the series, invite the opportunity to watch the series together and use the attached talking points guide (link here) to engage them in conversations. Remember that your Netflix settings can restrict programing.
The series 13 Reasons Why was released on Netflix in March. A simplified summary of the plot: a high school student named Clay receives 13 tapes recorded by a teen named Hannah who died by suicide. Each tape details a reason that she killed herself and is directed to a specific person, for a total of 13 people.
History
After discussing emerging issues and the need for focus on behavioral health, Community Partners’ Board of Directors determined to move forward with supporting a new coalition for Suicide Prevention. In December of 2016, approximately ten volunteers joined the first meeting around Suicide Prevention.
Different organizations represented at the meeting included: UNK Counseling Services, Kearney Public Schools, Richard Young Hospital, Ravenna Volunteer, Families Care, Center for Psychological Services, SOS Support Group. The group reviewed available Suicide Prevention data for Buffalo County and began defining the problem in our community.
The group left the conversation with the consensus to create a Suicide Prevention Coalition as part of the Buffalo County Community Partners umbrella. They also decided to continue gathering and discussing data, inviting more stakeholders to the table, and to begin looking at existing resources in our community.
In January, the community had another teen suicide, making multiple in the past year for our community. Community members joined in the monthly meeting for the Buffalo County Suicide Prevention Steering Committee, which more than doubled the initial Coalition attendance.
Their discussion inspired community action steps to promote messages of hope and healing, to reduce the stigma of suicide and mental illness, provide an open dialogue through a community forum for community members to learn more about mental health and suicide, and learn more about the available resources in our area for suicide prevention and postvention.
Resources
Emergency Resources
Richard Young Hospital offers an around-the-clock helpline at 800-930-0031.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 800-273-8255.
Or see their website to chat with someone online or learn more: http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Crisis Textline is available by texting 741-741.
Community Resources
Buffalo County’s Hope and Healing Team has come together to give local resources to the community. See more at BCCHP.org/HopeAndHealing.
If for some reason, you are unable to find resources to meet your need, contact HealthyMINDS@bcchp.org or (308) 865-2278.
Trainings
Buffalo County providers offer several trainings in mental health support. To find a training to fit your need the Suicide Prevention Coalition recommends that you visit the Region 3 Behavioral Health Services website.
If for some reason, you are unable to find training to meet your need, contact HealthyMINDS@bcchp.org or (308) 865-2278.
Contact Us
For more information on this collaborative contact Tana Miller at HealthyMINDS@bcchp.org or (308) 865-2278.