Mental Illness – Raising Awareness with Church & Community Leadership Everywhere
Raising awareness, decreasing stigma . . . Journeying alongside one another
Prevent Suicide of Greater Milwaukee Follow Up to Jan. 20 Partner Meeting
Dear PSGM Coalition Partners,
Thanks to all of you who attended the quarterly meeting last Friday 1/20.
For those who couldn’t make it, meeting notes will be forthcoming in the next week (or two).
In the meantime, here are the 4 TAKE ACTION items and links to the documents presented at our January 20th meeting.
We ask you to move forward with these in your organizations and/or personally, and TAKE ACTION! (see below for details)
In this email:
Next PSGM Quarterly Meeting Information
Join a PSGM Working Group
Upcoming PSGM QPR Series of Trainings
Upcoming Coalition Partner REDgen events
Update on Suicide Deaths in Milwaukee County last week
TAKE ACTION-actions and support tools
Warmly,
Barbara
Barbara Moser, Chair
Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee Coalition
barbara@preventsuicidemke.com
http://www.preventsuicidemke.com
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Next PSGM Quarterly Coalition Partner Meeting
Friday March 17th 8:30-10:30 AM at IndependenceFirst (Happy St. Patrick’s Day!)
Please note the extra half hour in the meeting time-part of the meeting will include an educational presentation/discussion on means restriction.
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Join a PSGM Working Group:
If you are interested in joining any of the PSGM Working Groups, please get in touch with Barbara and we’ll connect you with the right person: barbara@preventsuicidemke.com
* Partner Means Restriction Working Group
* QPR Working Group
* Community Outreach Working Group
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Upcoming PSGM QPR Series of Trainings-please pass this information along!
PSGM QPR Library series flyer: (Next QPR is Feb. 8th at Shorewood Library)
https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/f4587b3e-5860-47fd-b528-2872d99746a3
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Upcoming PSGM Coalition Partner REDgen events: http://www.redgen.org/new-events/
Feb 6th: Sleep in Adolescence
Feb 15th: Screening of the movie “Resilience”
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Update on Milwaukee County Suicide Deaths Last Week
You may have seen media coverage starting 1/20/17 regarding the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Office’s report of an increase in number of suicide deaths last week.
PSGM has been in contact with the Medical Examiner’s office as well as PSGM coalition partner Sara Kolhbeck at the Injury Resource Center and together we will monitor the situation for any trends that may develop.
We are also reaching out to local media and reminding them of best practices for media on reporting on suicide deaths.
I want to share with you the following summary regarding Milwaukee County suicide deaths the week of 1/15/17:
* 10 deaths from suicide in Milwaukee County.
* 2 individuals were teens, the remaining 8 individuals were adults. Ages ranged from 13-77.
* There was no known connection between any of these persons who died.
* For the persons who died, the 2 factors commonly noted in their history were 1) mental illness and/or substance use/abuse; and/or 2) a history of recent or impending loss.
I am so very sad to learn of these recent deaths in Milwaukee County, as I am for ANY suicide death.
I also am very concerned about the impact that suicide deaths have on the people who carry on, including all of us.
Please let us remember, and remind others that
* Recovery and resiliency are thankfully core elements of the human spirit-90% of persons who make a suicide attempt will recover and never be suicidal again.
* Primary prevention strategies such as providing programs that increase resiliency in youth, and decrease access to lethal means can have a broad positive impact on suicide.
* We are all working hard in a variety of ways along the continuum of distress in order to decrease suicide attempts and deaths. We will support each other in this work.
Please contact me if you have any comments or questions about this information: barbara@preventsuicidemke.com
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MEMBERS TAKE ACTION!!!!
(Recommendations of the PSGM Partners Means Restriction Working Group-feedback is welcome)
Here are 4 actions you can take right now:
1. Distribute means restrictions information to clients and their families, at events, as appropriate.
Individuals who are suicidal or live with suicidal persons need to know what they can do to limit access to lethal means (i.e. a method to kill themself).
Here are the links to information that you can print and distribute:
Safeguard the Medicines in Your Home:
https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/6fe206bc-5019-48f5-8e48-9729d942f940
Means Matter Recommendations for Families:
https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/127/2012/09/recommendations_for_families.pdf
Means Matter Questions about Storing Firearms:
https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/c931ed23-8f5a-42d4-8b1c-498861d5aea5
2. Give Medication Drop Box/Mail Back Information out to clients, at organization events, to your own health providers, pharmacies, family and friends!
Let’s get the word out there!
Clearing unused medications from homes decreases access to potentially lethal intentional (and unintentional) overdoses.
There is now a free mail back your medications program in Milwaukee.
Print this flyer to learn more, and then hand it out!
Return Unused Medications Flyer:
https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/d1d73093-517a-4407-b35d-1fc0a05747c2
3. Write down the names/contact information for your State of WI legislators.
There are multiple bills with proposed policy that would protect persons who are suicidal by limiting their access to firearms.
This legislation will come up for vote in the coming months- we’ll let you know when so you can call your legislator with your opinion.
WI State Legislator Look-up:
http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/search
READ MORE about these policies:
Lethal Violence Protective Order:
https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5610/c/238/images/5-28-15%20Handout%20Families%20Know%20First.pdf
Background Checks on All Gun Sales
Reinstating the 48 Hour Waiting Period for Handgun Sales– Will send the link in the near future
Guns in K-12 Schools:
4. Distribute gun locks/instructions, as appropriate.
Gun locks are one way to prevent a suicidal person from gaining access to a firearm.
PSGM/Mental Health America has a modest supply of free gun locks available to partners-you can distribute these to clients and at your events, such as resource fairs.Contact PSGM if you would like more information on obtaining gun locks: info@preventsuicidemke.com
Cable Style Gun Lock Instructions:
http://www.wcso.net/data/childsafe.pdf
Gun Lock Instruction Video:
(shown at the 1/20 meeting)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBQu1uYOk0U
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Our mailing address is:
Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee600 W Virginia St, Suite 502
Milwaukee, WI 53204
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