Crisis Line available for suicide prevention
The Todd County Citizens Against Drugs coalition held their monthly meeting on April 27 at the Staples Police Department.
A special guest, Mary Marana of the Crisis Line shared here views on concerns about recent suicides in the Staples area.
“When there is a suicide in a community, everybody suffers,” said Marana.
Marana said the Crisis Line has received a grant for suicide prevention training, with different options for people in different positions.
The training can teach how to identify signs that someone may be suicidal, how to respond, how to approach and how to get resources for that person.
Marana said they have a resource books that teach the symptoms of depression and suicide. “The symptoms are normal but if you have a lot more and they continue on, they should call in.”
Marana said the Crisis Line can dispatch mobile teams to reach a suicidal person in their home. She said as long as the person is physically stable, the state would prefer the Crisis Line team to go into homes rather than have the person go to the emergency room.
For more information on the Crisis Line, call 218-828-4357 (HELP) or 1-800-462-5525. Their web site is crisislineandreferralservice.org.
The Todd County Citizens Against Drugs would like to get more participation and activities in the Staples Area, said David Determan, a coalition member from Todd County Human Services. He said they have been working with Long Prairie and Browerville on a drug-free communities grant, but it is now a good time to raise awareness in Staples.
Determan said they are looking for groups in Staples to help with the coalition. For more information on the coalition, email david.determan@co.todd.mn.us or call 320-732-4271. Their web site is cadcoalition.com.
The coalition talked about the importance of mental health and youth awareness. Dr. Shawna Kovach, Director of Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Services at Lakewood Health System, told the group about a local committee that is working on mental health and youth. She said Lakewood, Todd County Human Services, Northern Pines, NJPA and the Staples Motley school system are developing a youth mental health education training session to integrate into the school in the fall of 2016. The program will train all staff on issues and intervention tips, plus provide ways for staff to find resources for students. The group also is developing a peer mentorship to provide positive role modeling.
