SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego County announced Wednesday it is joining a state pilot program focusing on mental health crisis response to prevent suicides by young people.
According to County Health and Human Services Agency officials, the program will help create new prevention responses, such as systems to continue keeping in contact with and follow-up care for youth who end up in hospital emergency rooms after experiencing thoughts of suicide, harming themselves or attempting suicide.
Additionally, the pilot program may expand the mental health program offerings at schools, including more support, resources and screenings for students and families. The county also wants to improve the outreach, training and suicide-risk screenings in rural communities.
On Tuesday, county supervisors decided to accept a tentative $4.1 million from California's Department of Public Health to “develop and test models for rapid reporting and comprehensive crisis response at the local level related to youth suicide and suicide attempts” for people under the age of 25.
The money still needs to be approved in the state's final budget deliberations, according to the county's website.
Local suicide rates have trended downward as the county's HHS agency continues making new suicide prevention programs and efforts, according to county officials. That being said, those officials pointed out the county's rates are still higher than state averages, and suicide is an "urgent, growing problem that needs addressing."
"Officials said the numbers of suicides between the ages of 15 and 19 increased 29% between 2017 and 2021, and that suicide remains a leading cause of death for San Diegans," the county's press release said.
The county highlighted the following programs that could act as a launchpad for the pilot program:
- "It's Up to Us"multimedia campaign
- Increases public awareness and understanding of suicide and issues surrounding it, especially mental health
- Mobile Crisis Response Teams
- Send mental health experts to respond to people suffering from a mental health crisis where they are to connect them to care.
- County's 24/7 Access and Crisis Line: 888-724-7240
- Gives people a way to talk directly to a clinician to help them around the clock
- 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Introduced locally last year, supplements the county crisis line. National network of local crisis centers providing free and confidential emotional support to people in a suicidal, mental health or substance use crisis, 24/7.
- San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council
- Organizes mental health trainings, produces annual "Report to the Community" showcasing suicide resources and data.
You can find more information about the county's behavioral health services here.
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