New Lenox to host suicide prevention program

Sept. 07--"A Pathway to Hope and Healing" will be the topic of a Thursday panel discussion on suicide, sponsored by the New Lenox Safe Communities America Coalition, in partnership with Sertoma Centre, Inc., in support of World Suicide Prevention Day.

The program will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the New Lenox Police Department, 200 Veterans Parkway, and will offer first-hand accounts from individuals whose lives have been touched by suicide, including someone who has lost a loved one to suicide, someone who has attempted suicide, a crisis line worker and a mental health professional.

The event is free and open to the public and is recommended for anyone high school age or above.

The coalition has a suicide prevention and awareness task force whose mission is to "reduce deaths and injuries related to suicide, through the development of educational programs, initiatives and strategies that address factors which lead to the attempt or completion of suicide," New Lenox Police Public Safety Division Chief Dan Martin said in a release.

"We've had one suicide this year. One is too many and we would like to reduce this number to zero," he said.

After the panel discussion, there will be a "QPR" (question, persuade and refer) training session. It is designed to increase public awareness of suicide and improve one's ability to identify and refer those at risk for suicide. Participants can learn about the impact of suicide in America, common myths and facts surrounding suicide, warning signs, risk factors and protective factors, with the goal of being able to intervene early by learning how to question, persuade and refer persons who are at risk for suicide.

To register, contact Martin at (815) 462-6128 or email dmartin@newlenox.net.

slafferty@tribpub.com

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