Suicide Prevention on the Agenda

An organizational meeting about offering suicide prevention training to the public will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at the

The issue came to light after several area residents committed suicide within the last few months, said Michelle Drumm, director of the Grafton Senior Center.

Suicide should not be treated as a stigma, she said. Open communication could potentially save lives, she said.

“It’s time to bring this subject out of the closet and into the light,’’ she said.

Anyone interested in the subject is encouraged to attend the organizational meeting, which is being held to discuss the particulars of the group and planning.

Training and workshops about suicide prevention will be scheduled in the future. Training will allow people to recognize the signs of potentially suicidal behavior and take action.

This training will not be held at the Sept. 12 meeting, which is being held for organizational purposes only.

During the future training sessions, a panel of people who have attempted suicide will attend the meeting and share their stories. Representatives from Depressed Anonymous and Samaritans Hot line will share their role in helping communities with suicide prevention.

Organizers hope to tape some of the training events and broadcast them on local access cable.