Chester County Marks Suicide Prevention Month

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Thirty-three people in Chester County had ended their own lives in the first eight months of 2021, the County Coroner reports, and in 2020 there were 53 suicide deaths.

September is Suicide Prevention Month.

Chester County Human Services regularly offers free educational sessions on suicide prevention aimed at helping see warning signs and finding coping strategies, especially for adolescents. Licensed Social Worker Brian McGinley is the presenter. A session planned for

School districts in Chester County dealt with tragic teen deaths in the past year, and communities mourned and rallied to help each other when it happened. Downingtown was especially hard-hit as hundreds gathered in June for a special vigil.

Tracy Behringer has served on theChester County Suicide Prevention Task Force for 15 years. She told Patch, "Suicide is not generally something people think about unless it's had some impact on them, and so there is more interest when something happens that's personal."

Every informed citizen should know the warning signs, the conversation to have with something, the way we train for CPR.

Behringer said suicide deaths have actually been down slightly overall in the last several years, but the difficulties of the last year have brought it into focus. "The schools know students are struggling. They're on it," said Behringer.

DASD Superintendent Dr. Emilie Lonardi said in the June 7 message, "The losses we have experienced this year have devastated our community. ... While we have persistently dedicated our district to improving mental health curriculum and supports in our schools, we must and will do more. We must come together to end the stigma surrounding mental health and get help into the hands of those who need it most. We are facing a national epidemic and we are committed to fighting; we cannot and will not stand idly by." Read that story here.

"We've been doing this for 15 years. We do these trainings regularly, we go into schools, and Chester County Intermediate Unit meets with all ninth graders in most districts," Behringer explained.

The County Human Services Department said the virtual session "will focus on suicide prevention for adolescents and what we can do to recognize and support adolescents who are struggling."

The no-cost session planned Friday was filled up in a very short time after it was posted. The class examines warning signs and indicators of the suicidal adolescent as well as protective factors and coping strategies. Mental health practitioners may receive continuing education credits for participating, the session page stated.

The program is co-sponsored by Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. As a CSWE accredited program, the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College is a pre-approved provider of continuing education for social workers in Pennsylvania.

Behringer said interested Chester County residents can watch for future sessions; some geared toward professionals, other for the general public. The Chester County Suicide Prevention Task Force website provides information, from warning signs to resources.

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