preventing suicide

At CHR Connecticut, our goal is zero suicides. Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Those reasons and more are why CHR started the Zero Suicide Committee. Our goal is to spread awareness, educate, and to continue preventing suicide.

CHR is part of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board - working to prevent suicide in the Manchester area and beyond. At CHR, the Zero Suicide Committee is working to save lives of people of all ages by:

Leading system-wide culture change committed to reducing suicides
Training a competent, confident, and caring workforce
Identifying patients with suicide risk via comprehensive screenings: This means that every person, of all ages, who is seen at CHR is screened for suicide risk at every visit. We want to do everything we can to identify the risk of suicide and provide immediate help to prevent suicide.
Engaging all individuals at-risk of suicide using a suicide care management plan
Treating suicidal thoughts and behaviors using evidence-based treatments
Transitioning individuals through care with warm hand-offs and supportive contacts
Improving policies and procedures through continuous quality improvement – it’s really a system-wide priority. We want to do everything we can to help individuals and families who come to us for care.

How much of a problem is suicide in the state of CT?

In Connecticut and across the country, there has been a startling uptick in deaths by suicide. Suicide rates among all ages have increased by an astounding 33-percent since 1999.
90% of CT deaths by suicide between 2015-2017 occurred in people 25 years of age and older (49 y/o was the average age).
Residents ages 45-64 years old had the highest rate of suicide followed by residents 65 years and older.
There were 4.5 deaths in CT in 2018 from Hispanics for every 100,000

What other facts on suicide should our listeners know?

Sadly, suicide is now the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and substance use and depression are major risk factors for suicide.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year olds
In the US someone attempts suicide every 31 seconds and 113 Americans die from suicide daily

Is there a population most affected?

The most affected people are those with PTSD and Substance Use Disorders
The LGBTQ population, both young and adult are also at high risk
Individuals experiencing life stressors as well as having access to lethal means such as firearms or medications increases their risk for suicide

Does CHR offer treatment options? Yes, CHR offers specialized psychotherapy, group therapy and other outpatient treatments for individuals most affected, such as:

Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Medication Assisted Treatment services
Group therapy designed for the LGBTQ population

Listeners can learn more about our CHR’s program by visiting our website at www.chrhealth.org.

How can our listener’s access help? If you are worried about a family member, friend or co-worker, there are wonderful resources available.

Your listeners can call 2-1-1 or the Crisis Text Line, just text CONNECT to 741741.
Also available at CHR is the HERO HOTLINE at 888-217-HERO. That’s 888-217-HERO.

This is A Free Resource to Help Frontline Workers and Anyone Struggling with Ongoing Stress of the Coronavirus Crisis. And finally, CHR’s Assessment Center at 877-884-3571.

CHR accepts most health insurances and don’t turn away clients because of inability to pay for services. We can offer a sliding fee discount schedule.

Some of the ways we’re working towards preventing suicide are:

Identifying patients at risk through a comprehensive screening
Providing training to create a competent, caring and confident workforce
Engaging patients that are at risk via a suicide care management plan
Treating suicidal thoughts and actions with evidence-based treatments
Improving our policies, procedures with continued quality checks

If you think that someone might be having suicidal thoughts, there are a few things you can do to help. Firstly, engage them and see how they’re doing. Actively listening shows that you care. If you feel that they may be suicidal, do not be hesitant to ask. Be direct and kind. If they answer yes, continue to listen to them. Do not promise to fix it or give advice; simply continue listening to what they have to say. As well, don’t leave them alone. Lastly, be sure to get help. They need the help of a medical professional. Even if the threat is not immediate, support is needed. For more information, you can contact us at 1-877-884-3571. Also, be sure to check out these other great resources:

For EMPS and other crisis resources, call 2-1-1
The National Suicide Hotline, 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line, text CONNECT to 741741