Eagle County commissioners proclaim September as Suicide Prevention Month: ‘There is hope’

The Eagle County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday morning declaring September as Suicide Prevention Month in Eagle County.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, this week is National Suicide Prevention Week and Wednesday, Sept. 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day.

“We know at SpeakUp ReachOut and many other organizations working toward suicide prevention that there is hope. Suicide prevention can save lives,” said Leslie Robertson, SpeakUp ReachOut’s awareness and brand manager.

SpeakUp ReachOut, the Eagle County nonprofit focused on reducing instances of suicide, is asking people to wear yellow on Wednesday to spread awareness and reduce stigmas surrounding suicide and mental health challenges.

“On the street today and as you’re wearing your yellow tomorrow, say hi to someone. Give someone a compliment. Check in on someone. Send someone a text,” Robertson said. “Those are all things that help with suicide prevention. Really easy to do, and they’ll make you feel good, too.”

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‘There is hope’

Robertson shared a handful of anecdotes with the commissioners about the organization’s successful efforts in the community.

“There is hope. People can find resilience, they can find support,” Robertson said. “We see that in the people who have taken one of our free trainings and tell us later that training really equipped them to help someone that they recognized was in crisis, and helped them to feel more comfortable reaching out to that person.”

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“We’re also seeing it in the people that we know have struggled with suicidal thoughts and who are still here,” Robertson said. “They have found support, they have found resources and used those resources. They have found healthy coping skills, and they’re still around.”

Last year, SpeakUp ReachOut ran a suicide prevention training at an Eagle County middle school and was able to immediately connect a student with a counselor for further treatment.

“The middle schooler actually had a suicide plan in place the night we went into their school,” Robertson said. “They were connected with a counselor, they got that support, they got further treatment, they are still here with us.”

This year, SpeakUp ReachOut connected a fifth grader struggling with suicidal thoughts with support following an in-school training.

‘Reach out to someone’

SpeakUp ReachOut offers peer support groups, suicide prevention trainings for individuals and teams and can connect people with resources surrounding mental health challenges and suicide prevention.

Even without training, there are steps people can take to prevent suicide in the community, Robertson said.

“Reach out to someone. Even if you are not sure that they’re struggling, check in. Ask them how they’re really feeling,” Robertson said. “If you’re so inclined to share your story, talk about your mental health challenges or things that you’ve experienced, please do so. We know that sharing stories open a dialogue. They make people feel less alone. They make it easier for people who are struggling to reach out for help.”

Health Harmon, director of Eagle County Public Health and Environment, said he wanted to highlight SpeakUp ReachOut’s commitment to increasing both economic stability and community connectedness as tools for suicide prevention.

“The reason I wanted to highlight those is because when we listened to our community members in 2023, these are two things that came up as our community-led priorities within our public health improvement plan,” Harmon said.

Eagle County Manager Jeff Shroll said he has seen the impact SpeakUp ReachOut has made while coaching high schoolers at Eagle Valley High School for close to 30 years, and as a Vail Health Behavioral Health board member.

“I have numerous stories of folks that you’ve touched and resources that you’ve provided to help keep our kids healthy and safe,” he said. “You guys do amazing work in this valley, and so much of it is behind the scenes.”

Commissioner Tom Boyd said he saw the difference suicide prevention efforts in the valley have made through his sons, ages 12 and 14, who wore yellow to school Tuesday.

“When I was their age, this was not talked about, and now it is, and it’s talked about schoolwide,” Boyd said. “I think too many of us can look back on our lives and think about how much we could have utilized your services, with friends or what have you, in the 80s and 90s, but I’m glad you’re doing it today.”

On Sept. 26, SpeakUp ReachOut is hosting “This is My Brave” at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, where cast members will share local stories of recovery from mental health challenges, including substance abuse, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts.

To learn more about SpeakUp ReachOut’s resources, visit SpeakUpReachOut.org.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact your physician, go to your local emergency room, or call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or Your Hope Center’s 24/7 crisis line at 970-306-4673.