CALIFORNIA: San Diego County Expands Suicide Prevention Plan

CBS 8

San Diego County has announced that it will expand its suicide prevention efforts. Based on data from community surveys and focus groups, the county Suicide Prevention Council has revised its suicide prevention plan. The new plan lays out nine strategies, including promoting awareness, improving access to behavioral health services, fostering connectedness, and teaching coping skills. It also calls for interventions that target multiple levels of the community, including the public, vulnerable groups, and individuals at immediate risk of suicide. “Our goal is to create a community where everyone recognizes that they have a role to play in suicide prevention,” said Alfredo Aguirre, county director of Behavioral Health Services. “Each of us should learn the warning signs of people considering ending their lives and encourage them to seek professional help.” The council has trained nearly 15,000 people how to recognize and respond to the warning signs of suicide using the Question, Persuade, Refer program.

Spark Extra! Learn more about the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council.