Suicide prevention hotline made easier to access, connect with resources

There were 17 deaths by suicide in Cape Girardeau County in 2018.

That number may seem small to some and not constitute a crisis, but Derek Vaughn, a peer support specialist for Gibson Recovery Center for Behavioral Change in Cape Girardeau disagrees. After receiving training from the Zero Suicide Institute, Vaughn said he adopted its stance that the only acceptable death rate for suicide is 0%.

"So, considering that goal, 17 deaths by suicide would be considered a crisis," Vaughn said. "The ripple effect of just one death by suicide is tremendous. So, if we had 17 deaths by suicide in 2018 (the most recent year released by the state's Department of Health and Senior Services), that means many people's lives were affected."

The Missouri Department of Mental Health implemented the Zero Suicide model in 2014, and from 2015 to 2017, there was a 32% decrease in suicide deaths among clients served in community behavioral health centers.

According to the state's Department of Mental Health, the suicide rate in Missouri is ranked 13th highest in the nation. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 10- to 34-year-olds, and the fourth in 35- to 54-year-olds, in the state.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website states suicide remains a major public health problem, one that occurs throughout the year. It is the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans. Each year, more than 46,000 people take their own lives. In addition, more than 374,000 are treated in emergency departments for self-inflicted injuries.

Also, according to the CDC, suicide rates increased 30% from 2000 to 2018, but declined in 2019 and 2020.

988

On July 16, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission established the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline with a 1-800 number — as the nationwide, easy-to-remember 3-digit dialing code for people in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. Veterans can dial 988 + 1 to be connected to the Veterans Crisis Line.

"When you're in crisis, you're not thinking clearly, and people may hesitate to call if they can't remember a long phone number," said Terri Kluesner, director of Community Support Services at Gibson Recovery Center.

Kluesner said those who call 988 will be connected with mental health professionals across the country.

The 988 website states a trained crisis worker will answer the phone. This person will listen to the caller, understand how a problem is affecting them, provide support, and try to get them the help they need.

"They will also provide callers information on local resources such as the Gibson Recovery Center or the Community Counseling Center in Cape Girardeau, or any support places near their local geographic area," Kluesner said.

She said some in crisis hesitate to ask for help because they fear losing their freedom.

"They're afraid someone will put them in a straitjacket, or worse, in jail," Kluesner said.

However, The FCC website states geolocation services are not currently enabled for 988, as they are for calls to 911. A caller's location information is not transmitted with a 988 call for possible dispatch of emergency services. The Lifeline automatically routes calls by area code to the nearest crisis center. For example, when a caller located in Missouri with a 573 area code calls 988, the Lifeline will route the call to a Missouri Lifeline call center regardless of the caller's location.

A safe place

Gibson Recovery Center sponsors a weekly 988 group at 5:15 p.m. Tuesdays at the We Do Recover Community Center (RCC) at 715 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Vaughn, who leads the group, said it is open to anybody who feels like their lives have been affected by suicide in any way.

"If you've made a suicide attempt, or you've thought about it, or lost a family member or loved one to suicide, this group is definitely for you," he said.

Vaughn said what led him to start the group was being on Gibson's Suicide Awareness Committee and the training he received through the Zero Suicide Institute.

"One of the things they wanted us to do was create a list of things to implement in our agency or our community to increase awareness of suicide or offer support for those with suicidal ideation," Vaughn said. "So, I chose to start a support group at the RCC.

Vaughn said a goal also is to increase the awareness in the community about suicide, and combat the stigma a lot of people have so people don't fear talking about it. He said the group started the first week of November and already has 10 to 12 people in attendance.

"I was really surprised," Vaughn said. "I didn't expect a very large turn out for the first few meetings, but getting 10 or 12 already is huge."

Lezlie Fox, program manager for We Do Recover, said she was also pleasantly surprised by how many showed up.

"If you get five people, you're doing good, you know," Fox said. "So, to already have that many people showing up speaks volumes to the need here in our community. I expect that group to continue to grow."

Fox said the We Do Recover Community Center celebrated its one-year anniversary Saturday, Dec. 3. She said during that year, they've started 12-step study programs, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and yoga sessions, and at noon Fridays they show movies and serve pizza.

We've been open 1,901 hours, offered 882 programs and distributed 274 boxes of naloxone (the opioid-overdose antidote)," Fox said. A total of 274 people attended events at the RCC and 300 people attended events away from the RCC. We're just getting started."