Eagle County recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention Month

The Eagle County Board of Commissioners signed a resolution Tuesday that officially recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention Month in Eagle County.

Representatives from behavioral health providers and advocates in the county attended the signing to celebrate the substantial strides that have been made in suicide prevention over the past five years.

In 2017, Eagle County voters spurred the expansion of behavioral health resources by approving a marijuana tax to fund mental health programs in the valley. This funding, in collaboration with extensive financial and operational support from Vail Health, has dramatically enhanced the support environment.

SpeakUp ReachOut, the local coalition for suicide prevention, has expanded from one to six full-time employees since 2018, and provides free suicide intervention training to community members throughout the year. Leslie Robertson, the organization’s awareness and brand manager, said that the goal is to train as many people as possible to positively intervene when they notice a loved one or fellow community member is struggling.

“There is hope, because suicide is one of the most preventable causes of death, and that is what we are here to help Eagle County learn,” Robertson said.

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On Friday, SpeakUp ReachOut is asking community members to wear yellow in support of suicide prevention, to help reduce stigma and spread awareness of the resources available in the community. The color yellow symbolizes hope, and they ask that people share their yellow outfits on social media under the hashtag #wearyellowforhope in solidarity with the cause.

“It’s said that for every death by suicide, 125 people are affected, and in small communities like ours it’s even more,” Robertson said. “We tend to know the person, know the family, know people who know that person, so it’s important to recognize these aren’t just numbers. These are people with families, with friends, with loved ones who are lost, and that’s what we’re trying to prevent.”

Eagle County recorded 89 deaths by suicide between 2011 and 2020, and in the late 2010s experienced some of the highest rates of suicide attempts seen in the country. The past four years have seen a downward trend, from 17 suicides in 2018 to 9 in 2021, but there is still much work to be done to bring that number as close to zero as possible.

Paige Baker-Braxton, the director of outpatient services at Vail Health, said that she was shocked by the prevalence of suicidal ideation when she first moved to the area.

“Prior to this, I was in downtown Chicago and inner city Miami, and I have to say, nothing prepared me for the acuity that we see here in this community,” Baker-Braxton said. “I know the statistics: rural communities experience suicidality rates twice as high as urban areas, but when I got here I realized that that wasn’t just a statistic — that was our reality.”

She said that in the past month alone, 70 new patients came to Colorado Mountain Medical with behavioral health concerns, 20% of whom exhibited a degree of suicidality. While this snapshot shows that demand for resources remains high, Baker-Braxton highlighted the fact that every one of those patients was connected with local providers and received the support that they needed.

“I’m super proud to say that Colorado Mountain Medical was able to provide folks with same-day access to behavioral health interventions,” Baker-Braxton said. “All of those people safety planned, prevented and involuntary medical hold for their psychiatric needs and, to our knowledge, avoided suicide attempt.”

Greg Daly, the chief of police in Avon and president of the SpeakUp ReachOut board, spoke of how a similar transformation has taken place within law enforcement.

“Being a cop in this county for 26 years, the paradigm shift that has occurred over the last five years has just been ridiculous. It’s been amazing,” Daly said. “There was a point in time, years ago, where it felt like, what’s going to change? We’re just repeatedly going to these crisis calls — unfortunately the aftermath of death by suicide — with all of the reflection back on what could a family member or friend have done, and the guilt that people were going through. Fast forward to now, we’re going to calls where we have support mechanisms.”

All of the representatives at the county meeting on Tuesday pointed to collaboration as the key for success. Nonprofit organizations are working hand-in-hand with health care providers, law enforcement and local government to meet the outsized need in the community, and year by year the results are beginning to show.

With an emphasis on the power of destigmatization and awareness, the county commissioners unanimously voted to recognize September as National Suicide Prevention Month, and commended each of the organizations present for the role that they are playing in preventing suicide in Eagle County.

“Every member of our community should understand that throughout life’s struggles we all need the occasional reminder that we are all silently fighting our own battles. … We encourage all residents to take the time to inquire as to the wellbeing of their family, friends and neighbors and to genuinely convey their appreciation for their existence by any gesture they deem appropriate,” the resolution reads.

For a list of upcoming events and trainings around suicide prevention, visit SpeakUpReachOut.org.