6A | SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
HEALTH from page 1A
for community health and
well-being. Its main areas of
focus are alcohol, prescrip-
tion drugs, tobacco, nutri-
tion, physical activity, gam-
bling, suicide, mental health
and health equity.
Prevention Lane also gath-
ers data on different health
outcomes within the county.
Some of that information has
been compiled in the Com-
munity Health Improvement
Plan and Community Health
Needs Assessment, which
“document the full scope of
human health in the county
to the best of our ability with
the data we’ve gathered,” Bru-
baker said.
The agency works not only
with other branches of LCPH,
but also with the Oregon
Health Authority (OHA) and
state programs as it gathers
data. One aspect of that re-
search was released in March,
showing some important in-
formation regarding suicide
in the state.
“There has been a lot of
misinformation
swirling
around suicide for the past
year,” Brubaker said. “OHA
has now come out with the
Shoppe
LOCAL
#MyFlorence
Shop. Eat. Support.
SAVE. SHOP
data to demonstrate that the behavior, but we’re not seeing digenous and people of color one in terms of setting up make sense of what you’re
communities; and historical- systems that are sustainably going through and to learn
suicide rate has not increased less stress,” he said.
That’s where Prevention ly underserved youth receive and continuously prepared, more about what resources
during the pandemic. Local-
ly, here in Lane County, we’ve Lane and its community equitable access to services and not just individuals that and support can help you,
are knowledgeable and con- your loved ones, and the
had a 20 percent reduction partners can provide some and support.
The ASIST workshop will fident,” Brubaker said. “In- communities you live and
from 2019. Statewide, we guidance.
According to Brubaker, the take place locally on April fluencing systems is the big- work in.
similarly had a 15 percent
ger haul. That’s
• If there is imminent dan-
reduction
in
why this is ger to self or others, people
the number of
actually a four- should call 9-1-1 immediate-
suicide deaths.
“There has been a lot of misinformation swirling around suicide
That’s import- for the past year. OHA has now come out with the data to demon- year grant that ly.
ant news.”
strate that the suicide rate has not increased during the pandem- we’re working
Other Resources:
The risk of ic. Locally, here in Lane County, we’ve had a 20 percent reduction on. All that
work recogniz-
• 90by30 Lane County:
increased sui-
from 2019. Statewide, we similarly had a 15 percent reduction in
es how long it 541-346-7484, 90by30.com
cide rates has
the number of suicide deaths. That’s important news.”
takes to imple-
• Community
Support
been one of
— Roger Brubaker, MPH, Prevention Lane
ment and get it Team-Mobile Crisis Re-
the rationales
all completed.” sponse: 541- 997-3212, www.
circulating for
Senior Community Health Analyst
For
more svfr.org/community-sup-
people wanting
i n f o r m a t i o n port-team-cst
an earlier re-
• Live Healthy Lane: Live-
turn to in-person education first step is acknowledging 21 and 22. The participants, about Prevention Lane and
limited to around 10, will in- its mental health data, visit HealthyLane.org
at k-12 schools, with people declining mental health.
“For those who have wors- clude staff from Siuslaw and preventionlane.org.
• National Alliance on
referencing students’ mental
ening symptoms, or those Mapleton districts, Peace-
Mental Illness (NAMI):
health.
If you or someone you www.nami.org. HelpLine can
“That is completely off. who are new to them, this is Health and the Mobile Crisis
know is experiencing a men- be reached Monday through
Because if that was the case, going to feel quite different, Response team.
“Although our focus is the tal health crisis, please know Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., at
then suicide would have new, strange and awkward.
1-800-950-6264 or info@
increased,” Brubaker said. And we might not actually school, we’re doing these that help is available:
• Call the National Suicide nami.org
“They actually decreased. … be prepared or familiar with trainings very small because
• National Sexual Assault
It’s really important that we how to respond or what to of the pandemic,” Brubaker Prevention Lifeline 24/7, run
said. “We would love to have by Lines For Life, at 800- Hotline: 1-800-656-4673, on-
have accurate, clear infor- do,” he said.
Once people understand even more partners, because 273-8255 or text “273TALK” line.rainn.org
mation about suicide. We’re
• National Teen Dating
talking about people’s lives. they need to engage with when we get them all in the to 839863 (text services
It’s not just something we can their mental health, they can room working and training available Monday–Friday, Abuse Helpline: Phone:
together, they really learn to- 2–6 p.m. Pacific Time). The 1-866-331-9474,
reach out for help.
Text:
throw around.”
“Hopefully, we live in plac- gether and start sharing ideas Veterans Crisis Lines can be LOVEIS to 22522, www.
It was important for him to
reached by calling the above loveisrespect.org
emphasize this point — that es where we feel comfortable, across the systems.”
The workshop is consid- number and pressing “1.” En
confident and safe acknowl-
• Oregon YouthLine, teen-
there are elements of hope.
1-888-628-9454. 2teen crisis helpline: Phone:
“There’s a little bit of pan- edging the changes in our ered advanced training, be- español:
ic about suicide sometimes. mental health and can have yond the more basic QPR TTY: Dial 711 then 1-800- 877-968-8491, Text: teen-
I want to make sure that conversations to share about (Question, Persuade and Re- 273-8255. People can also 2teen to 839863, youthL@
people don’t feel that. Per- it with others. But if we don’t fer) training, one of the most visit www.linesforlife.org.
linesforlife:org, oregonyouth-
• YouthLine is a teen-to- line.org
sonally, because I’ve worked feel comfortable sharing, widely taught suicide preven-
teen crisis and help line.
with so many people who are there’s a ton of resources that tion trainings in the world.
• Prevention Lane: preven-
“ASIST is a two-day, pretty Teens are available to help tionlane.org
chronically suicidal, when have moved online,” he said.
Online support can be ef- intensive process in which we daily from 4–10 p.m. Pa-
they hear about big nation-
• Safe Shelter for Siuslaw
al trends around suicide, it fective in the short term, in- really work with participants cific Time (off-hour calls Students:
541-590-0779,
actually impacts them quite cluding telebehavioral health as they interrogate their own answered by Lines for Life). SafeShelterforSiuslawStu-
deeply. It makes them feel services. Several programs beliefs and thoughts around Call 877-968-8491, text dents.org
very hopeless about the world are more accessible now than suicide; how they influence “teen2teen” to 839863 or
• Substance Abuse and
because of their own experi- they were before the pan- and work with people who chat at oregonyouthline.org. Mental Health Services Ad-
• Crisis Services by Ore- ministration: Treatment in
ences. When we’re getting demic. A short list of some are at risk of suicide; and then
accurate information, we’re of these options is included at how they can do thoughtful gon County are available at your area: 1-800-662-HELP
interventions that meet those www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/ (4357), findtreatment.sam-
making very definitive steps the end of this article.
“Those can really help peo- needs,” Brubaker said. “That PreventionWellness/SafeLiv- has.gov
to helping people,” Brubaker
ple who are in great distress takes a good two days, which ing/SuicidePrevention/Pag-
said.
• The Trevor Project,
OHA’s release stated, “Ac- and who are suffering,” Bru- is two days of fully focusing es/crisislines.aspx.
Suicide Prevention Life-
on suicide interventions.”
• The Safe + Strong website line for LGBTQ youth:
cording to preliminary data, baker said.
Beside the ASIST work- and helpline operate 24/7 at 1-866-4-u-Trevor
Prevention Lane also rec-
there were about 90 fewer
(866-
suicides across all ages in Or- ommends clinical care and shop, Prevention Lane works www.safestrongoregon.org 4887386), thetrevorproject.
with the 12 schools in the and 1-800-923-4357. Safe + org
egon in 2020 than in 2019. therapy for people.
In addition, Brubaker said grant coalition to talk about Strong is designed to support
… In addition, the number
• Veterans Crisis Line:
of suicide-related visits to that there are peer support the four-year scope of the people who are facing chal- 1-800-273-8255 press #1,
project.
lenges related to COVID-19 www.veteranscrisisline.net
emergency departments and services.
“Maybe they’re just looking
“This workshop, and any or other life stressors. Use
urgent care centers in January
• Western Lane Health
2021 were similar to the final to have a conversation with training we do, is really step the website as a tool to help Network: westlanehealth.org
quarter of 2020, and the num- somebody else that doesn’t
ber of suicide-related calls identify as a professional but
to Oregon Poison Center in who went through something
January 2021 were similar to like they did. And then you’re
the final quarter of 2020. The just talking to some guy,” he
percent of suicide-related vis- said.
As for Prevention Lane, it
its to emergency departments
and urgent care centers in has its own partners in the
January 2021 was similar to community, including Sui-
cide Prevention Coalition of
the final quarter of 2020.”
OHA’s data has brought Lane County, the Communi-
a sense of relief for pub- ty Support Team-Mobile Cri-
lic health workers in Lane sis Response at Siuslaw Valley
County as they work to not Fire and Rescue, Healthy Di-
only address mental health rections Lane County and the
but the other effects of the National Alliance on Mental
Receive a free accessory with
ith a new l lease.
Illness (NAMI).
COVID-19 pandemic.
It also works closely with
“I think it’s wonderful
Expires 3/16/21.
news,” Brubaker said. “There’s school districts across the
still distress and suffering, but county. At the end of this
people are living. And that’s month, Prevention Lane will
the opportunity. It may not be conducting a two-day
be a sunny day, but I see some Applied Suicide Interven-
tion Skills Training (ASIST)
sun poking through.”
Despite the actual decrease workshop with Mapleton and
in deaths by suicide, people’s Siuslaw school districts.
Florence
Both districts are among
stress levels continue to be
1901 Hwy 101, Ste A
12 rural schools who re-
high, however.
“All the research, beyond ceived a youth suicide pre-
Scott C. Anderson, Au.D. • Steven G. Anderson, Au.D.
the anecdotal, is pointing to vention grant to support the
a pretty significant increase implementation of Adi’s Act,
HearingAssociatesofFlorence.com
in which people who have also known as Senate Bill
had mental health problems 52. Passed in 2019, Adi’s Act
in the past are feeling them requires Oregon school dis-
more frequently and more in- tricts to develop comprehen-
tensely,” Brubaker said. “And sive district Student Suicide
people who have never had Prevention Plans.
The plans will include pro-
mental health problems in
the past are now experiencing cedural planning, equity and
them for the first time. That racial equity-centered sup-
occurs every day, but to occur ports, and a staff training pro-
at this level is pretty astound- cess that explicitly addresses
when and how students and
ing.”
Even with these high stress families are referred to ap-
levels, there are two main rea- propriate mental health and
sons why suicide numbers crisis services.
“We’re
helping
them
have decreased during the
with implementing evi-
pandemic.
“What we know about na- dence-based strategies, like
tional crises is that when they screening, assessment and
occur, the suicide rate drops,” safety planning practices, that
Brubaker said. “It’s been a help them apply the standard
pretty consistent phenome- of care to each of the students
non across large populations that they identify in their
since we’ve recorded these school that are at risk of sui-
types of things. We actually cide,” Brubaker said.
Adi’s Act operates in con-
expected we would see this
junction with the Student
decline.”
He said the second reason Success Act to ensure that
is that people don’t necessari- LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bi-
ly have the opportunity to act sexual, transgender, queer)
youth; foster youth; youth
on their suicidal thoughts.
“We’re seeing less suicidal with disabilities; Black, In-
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