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October io. 2012
Mental Health Crisis
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3
The Salvation Army Youth Brass Band, under the direction o f Major James Sullivan, performed
during the non-profit's All About Kids dinner.
This year's theme, "My Story,"
made for a wonderful, heart-felt
evening of stories and testim o
kids in need in the com m unity at n ials o f how T he S a lv atio n
the Sept. 25 event, drawing over Army has positively im pacted
340 guests to the Oregon Z oo’s p e o p le fro m a v e ry y o u n g
Cascade Crest Ballroom.
age.
Stories Pack a Punch
Stories packed a punch at The
Salvation Arm y's 18th annual All
About Kids dinner.
Over $275,000 was raised for
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^You are cordiatfy invited to
Sharon Seventh-day Adventist Church’s
Annual Homecoming...
“Celebrating 66 Years!”
“ The Seed Was Planted--The Legacy Continues”
Friday, October 12,2012
6:30 pm Registration / Meet & Greet
With Refreshments
7:30 pm Special Program
Dr. Andrea Trusty King
Saturday, October 13,2012
9:30 am Registration
9:45 am Sabbath School with Guest Speaker:
Pastor Royal Harrison
11:00 am Worship Experience
Dr. Andrea Trusty King
Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Andrea Trusty King
Great Music, Heartwarming Presentations, Fond Memories, O ld & New Friends!
Special Homecoming Luncheon Provided Off-site
“Sadly, these calls are all too
familiar to our officers,” said Pete
Simpson, public information officer
of the Portland Police.
Since 2001, the number of police
responses to suicide calls has risen
by 90 percent, according to a cur
rent city report on “police interac
tions with persons in mental health
crisis.”
In the last week, among many
other mental health calls, 10 people
attempted suicide and three men
died of self-inflected wounds.
A fourth suicide was 19-year-old
male who was reportedly under the
influence of drugs and alcohol and
playing "Russian Roulette," with a
firearm in a garage.
As the shock from suicide deaths
ripple through the community, men
tal health advocates are calling on
people to take preventive actions.
The National Alliance for Sui
cide Prevention calls for strategies
to reduce and de-stigmatize suicides
across the country, and Portland
city officials and local police are
promoting Lines for Life as an alter
native emergency number to 9-1-1
for people suffering a mental health
crisis.
“People tend to kill themselves
for one of two reasons,” one— “un
bearable pain” and two— “not want
ing to be a burden to others,” said
Lines for Life Clinical Director Leslie
Storm, a veteran of 23 years in the
counseling field and the last six at
Lines for Life.
Suicidal victims may also have a
mental health disorder, a substance
abuse problem, or both, she said.
Lines for Life receives 18,000 to
20,000 suicide calls each * vear.
“Hopefully people will call us
before they call 9-1-1,” said Storm,
“9-1-1 would deal with it— but, they
don’t have the time. We are a great
substitute because of our training
and willingness to hang in there
with the person.”
With 24 paid staff and 130 volun
teers on and off, the nonprofit suc
cessfully works to de-escalate sui
cidal callers about 98 percent of the
time.
“Suicide is preventable, said
Storm, “but if somebody is deter
mined to do it, they’re not going to
pick up the phone and call a crisis
line or dial their psychologist—
they’re going to do it.”
Some people determined to kill
themselves pick highly lethal means
like jumping off a roof or bridge
because, “Its and easy cheap way
to do it,” she said. “You have imme
diate access. You don’t have to go
three days to find a gun or pills.”
October has ushered in Suicide
Prevention Month with thousands
of people across the country join
ing an “Out of the Darkness,” cam
paign to raise funds for suicide pre
vention program s and increase
awareness for what is the fourth
leading cause of death in the United
States among adults aged 18 to 65.
“Suicide can happen to any
body,” said Storm. She knows first
h an d - her husband killed himself 25
years ago in October. After her
husband’s death. Storm and her son
had not only to deal with the loss of
a loved one, but the another dark
side of suicide— it’s stigma.
“It’s hard enough on a family
when someone kills themselves, they
have to go deal with the shame of it
as well,” said Storm.
A researcher once told her,
“When someone you love kills them-
se lv e s, y o u r ad d ress b o o k
changes” . T h at’s exactly what
changes, said Storm. The people
you thought would be there for you
don’t know what to say.
Storm says she doesn’t know
how she and her son would have
made it through without attending
local bereavement groups and ser
vices. “There were so many adults
stepping in to help raise my son,”
she said.
For a myriad of reasons, not ev
eryone chooses to seek help, but
“In a perfect world everybody
would,” said Storm.
Lines for Lifes operates five lines
with the newest being the Portland
City Lifeline (800-273-8255 or 503-
972-3456). Others hotlines address
suicide, alcohol and drugs, military
veterans, and youth (a peer to peer
line where youth have the option to
text in).
Trained responders follow a
model to calm a suicidal person.
First they try to make a connection
with the individual. They ask for
reasons why the person wants to
die and most importantly, they ask
reasons why the person wants to
live. This can take prying, said Storm.
Sometimes just asking simple
questions like “Who will feed the
cat?” and “Who will take care of
your garden,” can snap distressed
callers out of their decision.
Storm, a self-described “idealist
therapist,” says to prevent rising
suicides in Oregon, we as a society
need to be more aware of the people
in our community.
People need to learn how to rec
ognize suicidal symptoms in oth
ers— from people close to you to
those sitting on a street bench who
may be feeling ill.
It’s important to say are you do
ing ok? Do you need me to call
somebody? Are you thinking about
killing yourself?
“Forget a village, it takes a city to
raise a citizen,” said Storm.
RSVP fo r luncheon & Pre-register for weekend by calling (503) 287-7649
W orship events w ill be h e ld at the Sharon Seventh-day A d ven tist Church
5209 N E 22nd Avenue Portland, O regon 97211
F o r m ore inform ation call: (503) 287-7649 o r visit u s a t w w w .sh a ro n sd a .n et
Advertise with diversity in
Call 503-288-0033
P o rtla n d ( ^hsciA Cl
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