September 15, 2008
Local coalition develops in response to high suicide rates
YKHC Public Relations
According to the 2006 Alaska Injury Prevention Center (AICP) Suicide Follow-back Study, the YK-Delta region has the greatest number of Native suicides in the state.
In response to the high incidence of suicide in the YK Delta, representatives from local organizations created the Suicide Awareness Intervention Prevention and Healing Coalition.
"Several people from around the State and Delta collectively decided that there was a need for us to coordinate our efforts. And out of that came this coalition. Since then we've developed a mission, vision and values," Coalition Facilitator Brian Lefferts said.
The coalition includes members from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Kuskokwim University Campus, Alaska Department of Behavioral Health/Prevention and Early Intervention Services, Manillaq Association, Alaska Public Health Nursing, the Lower Kuskokwim School District, the Lower Yukon School District, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and others.
The coalition will be focusing on developing partnerships with other local programs with similar goals and supporting communities as they create culturally relevant community-based support systems.
A top priority is cataloging all the suicide prevention and awareness resources currently available to residents of the YK Delta. Once that list is compiled, the coalition will distribute it to communities and organizations in the area.
"We've come together to engage communities in promoting safe and healthy lifestyles that will lead to reducing the number of suicides in the Delta," Lefferts said.
Individuals or organizations can e-mail the coalition at ykdelta.saiph@gmail.com to highlight resources available in their communities.
