Crisis Services, community advocates emphasize opportunities for prevention
ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Erie County’s annual breakfast meeting on March 19 brought the mental health community together with suicide prevention advocates for a morning of discussion and reflection.
The Coalition’s annual meeting included an agenda outlining the Coalition’s achievements in 2024 presented by Coalition Coordinator Celia Spacone, a data summary from Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein, and remarks by Erie County Assistant Commissioner of Mental Health John Grieco. Dr. Joshua Singh presented the keynote speech on Bridging the Gap in Perinatal Mental Health, and a vision session was facilitated by Garra Lloyd Lester from the Suicide Prevention Center of New York.
Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein presented 2024 data from the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office on deaths by suicide. There were 94 reported deaths by suicide among Erie County residents in 2024, an increase from 72 in 2023.
“Consistently, about half of deaths by suicide were seen in people ages 50 and older, with about two thirds of death by suicide seen in people ages 40 and older,” Dr. Burstein explained. “Males are overrepresented in these data, accounting for 79% of deaths by suicide in 2024; that’s generally consistent with the last 4 years of data.”
“Suicide is a complex topic, and one message that unites this Coalition is the idea that individuals have a role to play in preventing death by suicide.” said Sarah Bonk of the Erie County Department of Mental Health. “At the same time, the mental health and public health systems have a responsibility to strengthen community resilience, provide resources and serve as a connecting fabric to support individuals at the point of crisis.”
“Our Coalition has been dedicated to enhancing suicide prevention efforts for over a decade. We have the benefit, through our local data, to understand the stories of those we have lost to expand our prevention strategies. As a result we have experienced an overall decrease in suicide deaths over the past two decades,” said Crisis Services President/CEO Jessica Pirro. “Resources like Crisis Services 24-Hour Hotline, the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and various crisis response services have help to provide immediate support to an individual experiencing crisis with the goal to provide safety, help and hope.”
“Losses from deaths by suicide are deeply felt in our community,” said Suicide Prevention Coalition Director Dr. Celia Spacone. “But we reduce the risk of suicide by strengthening protective factors, educating the public about warning signs, and being creative in how we address risk factors.”
Initiatives advanced by Coalition participants include:
- Suicide Prevention Coalition maintains a firearms storage map and provides outreach at events like gun shows to distribute gun locks and safe storage information.
- EriePath, a free app to connect users with mental health informational resources and referrals.
- Training and education for clinical and medical professionals, teachers, community organizations and the general public around mental health. Training requests from Crisis Services.
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RESOURCES FOR MEDIA: Reporting on Suicide (PDF); Guidelines for Ethically Reporting on Suicide
Erie County Department of Mental Health, Erie Path app: erie.gov/eriepath
Crisis Services: https://crisisservices.org
- 9-8-8: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – available in English and Spanish
- 716-834-3131: Crisis Services 24-hour Crisis Hotline for Erie County
Suicide Prevention Coalition of Erie County: https://suicidepreventionecny.org
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