The New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) will host its fourth annual day-long suicide prevention conference Thursday, September 13 at the War Memorial in Trenton.
More than 700 mental health and substance use providers, primary care providers, administrators, educators, first responders, advocates, faith-based organizations and people affected by suicide are expected to attend “Suicide Prevention: A Community Effort – Working Together to Prevent Suicide.”
The conference, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will feature a panel discussion at 9:10 a.m. with New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson, Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer, and Acting Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks, who will address the state’s current and future initiatives to address suicide prevention.
The goal of the conference is to emphasize the importance of suicide prevention in health care as well as in the community and underscore the fact that preventing suicide is possible only through a collective effort.
Governor Phil Murphy has signed a proclamation declaring this week Suicide Prevention Week in New Jersey. The proclamation points out that suicide is the third leading cause of death for residents between the ages of 15 and 34. A copy of the proclamation is available here.
“This is a public health issue that touches families across the state and the nation,” Elnahal said. “For the first time since 2011, New Jersey’s suicide rate dropped 13 percent in 2016. But that still means that 689 people died by suicide in New Jersey that year. These statistics are not just numbers. They are mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, and far too many people have suffered the loss of their loved ones due to suicide.”
Senator and Former Governor Richard Codey will be presented with a special award for his lifelong commitment to people with mental illnesses.
Speakers will include Michael Hogan, PhD, Health Care Consultant; Clinical Professor Psychiatry Department at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, whose presentation is titled, “Working Together to Prevent Suicide – The Critical Role of Health Care.”
Richard McKeon, PhD, MPH, Chief, Suicide Prevention Branch, Division of Prevention, Traumatic Stress, and Special Programs, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will speak about “Working Together to Prevent Suicide – The Critical Role of Communities.”
Afternoon breakout sessions include: Creating Caring Environments During Periods of Transition: Grade School through College; Effective Skills in Dealing with Suicidal Ideation: Coping Skills and Stress Management; Suicide Loss and Suicide Attempt Survivors: How to Move Forward; A Model of Suicide Prevention Strategies for Vulnerable Populations: Gambling Addiction and LGBTQ Community, and Telling the Story II: Veterans, First Responders and Incarcerated Individuals.
Statistics released earlier this summer by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a 25 percent increase nationwide from 1999 to 2016 in the number of people who die by suicide. The CDC study notes that there is no one single cause of suicide, but it indicates economic factors and access to behavioral health services have an impact and can lead to deaths of despair.
“The fact that this conference has grown from 30 people the first year to more than 700 this year demonstrates the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ tireless work to bring this effort to the forefront,” said Deborah Hartel, Deputy Commissioner of the Integrated Services Branch.
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