Hope Center plans community forums on suicide
February 28, 2014
Pitkin County, Colorado has been implementing multiple strategies during the past several years to address its high suicide rate. A 2009 study provided 50 recommendations to try to prevent suicide and treat mental illness in the county. The efforts began with the creation of the Hope Center to address some of the top needs, including a 24-hour crisis line to be answered by clinicians, and a continuum of care to help people move out of mental health crises. The Center’s Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program allows people in crisis to stay at home but obtain multiple daily treatment sessions for about three to five days to become stabilized. The Center draws on resources in the community and patients’ family and friends to help patients get through a crisis, and keeps clinicians in contact with this support system during continued treatment. A detoxification facility and a suicide loss survivor group were also established, and training was provided to all local first responders and over 1,000 other people. Most recently, the Hope Center has planned a series of community forums in response to dozens of requests from people in the area for a way to discuss the continuing high suicide rate. Free suicide prevention trainings will also be held in the next month.
Spark Extra! Learn more about the Aspen Hope Center