Suicide Prevention Week

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

Suicide Prevention Week

WHEREAS, suicide is a major preventable public health concern of local, state, and national responsibility; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, Virginia experienced 1,211 deaths by suicide, making suicide the 11th leading cause of death in the Commonwealth and the 2nd leading cause of death in young people ages 10-24; and

WHEREAS, public awareness of the warning signs, stress-coping strategies, safety planning, and support network availability coupled with the promotion of open dialogue about mental health can reduce stigma and lead to early intervention, effective treatment, and ultimately save lives as part of a multi-prong approach to suicide prevention; and

WHEREAS, schools serve as key settings for suicide prevention strategies and education, intervention, and postvention for our young people as described by the Virginia Board of Education adopted Suicide Prevention Guidelines for Virginia Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, theSuicide Prevention Interagency Advisory Group, jointly facilitated by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Governor's Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Families with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) coordinates efforts of the Commonwealth to strengthen the capacity across our communities to implement suicide prevention strategies across the lifespan; and

WHEREAS, VirginiaDBHDS and DVS provide peer recovery support and family outreach for military-connected citizens to support behavioral health, rehabilitative, and supportive services access before crises develop; and

WHEREAS, upstream behavioral health wellness programs diminish accumulating suicide risk, and the forty prevention services offices of the Commonwealth's Community Services Boards provide trauma-informed, evidence-based prevention programs and strategies that promote mental health wellness and suicide prevention skills training; and

WHEREAS, Virginians have access to free, confidential emotional support and suicide crisis intervention twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year when they call 988 and are connected with highly trained crisis line workers; and

WHEREAS, Lock and Talk Virginia, in partnership with Virginia DBHDS, provides a statewide approach to suicide preventionthat educates the community on warning signs and encourages limiting access to firearms, medications and other potentially dangerous items during a mental health crisis; and

WHEREAS, Suicide Prevention Week provides an opportunity for all of us to join in a united effort to offer hope, promote healing, and prevent suicide;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 8-14, 2024, as SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.