WASHINGTON: Forefront launches suicide prevention effort in three rural Washington counties
January 22, 2016
The organization Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention will be implementing a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention in three rural Washington counties with high suicide rates. It will provide training in suicide prevention and preparation in addressing suicidal crises, reaching a wide range of people, including school staff, emergency responders, mental health and health care professionals, and community residents. Suicide prevention coalitions will be created that will determine the best approach to meet each community’s needs. Forefront also hopes to incorporate its Forefront Cares program, enabling suicide survivors to provide phone support to people who are newly bereaved by suicide. The overall comprehensive approach is being made possible by grants from the Washington Women’s fund and the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. According to Jennifer Barron, the project director, “We believe that suicide prevention is everybody’s business. Everybody in a community has the ability to know warning signs, to be able to talk to the suicidal person and to get help. That’s really the goal of putting the two grants together.”
Spark Extra! For more information on Forefront’s work, check out its website.