EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and a new suicide prevention strategic plan has been released nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says this is a 10 year plan that focuses on strategies to prevent suicides across the country.
Locally, organizations are also using their resources to help those struggling with their mental health.
“There’s far too many people in this world for anyone to have to go through something by themselves, chances are someone else has had a similar experience and they can use that experience to help someone else,” said Emily Reidford, vice president of community outreach and education at Easterseals.
She also says the best thing people can do to help those struggling with their mental health or thoughts of suicide, is to reassure them they are not alone and get them the help they need.
“We have mobile crisis teams available now, we have local hotline numbers available now,” said Reidford, “We also have a local team of suicide post vention experts, that’s a team that reaches out to family after a suicide death.”
This new national plan, hopes to expand that help, and it’s doing it in four parts.
The first focuses on building and sustaining suicide prevention at all levels of community.
The second, to implement suicide prevention services as a core component of health care.
Third, to improve quality, timeliness, and access.
Finally, to expand effective programs.
“I really think the plan is to look at all aspects of suicide prevention of course but access to that mental health care,” said Reidford, “meeting people where they are, so having the numbers to call, someone to reach out and go and be there that’s the mobile crisis unit, and the third step to that is having a place to go.”
Most importantly it’s important to know you are not alone and that you can recover.
Easterseals is just one organization in the tri-state area that helps serve those struggling with mental health.
You can learn about the resources they provide here.
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