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Teen Suicide in Nassau County New York: Lifesaving Resources
The Nassau County Child Fatality Review Team (NCCFRT) is a multidisciplinary team that has functioned as a NYS approved child fatality review team as provided in Social Services Law (SSL) §422-b working under the supervision of the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) since December 2008....
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Saving Real Lives in Virtual Space: Innovative Suicide Prevention Solutions
The Facebook safety team sees messages like the following every day: “I’m going to kill myself this is my last post ever ill will miss u all…” 1 Since there are more than 37,000 deaths by suicide every year,2 and more than 50% of Americans have a Facebook profile,3 it’s not surprising...
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Suicide Attempts and the Family
As an EAP (Employee Assistance Professional) Counselor, one of the most difficult situations is calls from people whose loved one is suicidal. In this article “family” is construed as people who are involved and concerned. Dealing with a loved one who is suicidal is one of the greatest...
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Suicide: More Common Than You Think, More Preventable Than You Know
Just how common is suicide you may ask? According to the latest available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: In 2007, there were 34,598 reported suicide deaths in the U.S. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24-year-olds, and this age group accounts for...
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River Angel: Therapy and Loss in the Early Days of AIDS
It’s been 17 years since Keith Braverman* washed down a bottle of valium with a fifth of vodka, left his wallet and keys on his kitchen table, and jumped into the Hudson River. Keith wrote one suicide note, and it was addressed to me. He attached a postcard to the note: the two embracing angels...
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Understanding Suicide in New York City: The Scope of the Problem and Opportunities for Prevention
In the past two decades, New York City has seen a decline in overall suicide rates.1 The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) recently announced that the suicide rate in NYC is approximately half that of the national suicide rate.1 Yet, the actual number of suicides is high:...
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Recognizing Suicide Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses five developmental disorders including Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, Pervasive Developmental disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett’s Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD). According to the National Institute of...
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Working with Adolescents and Their Families in the Immediate Aftermath of a Suicide Attempt
Terror, anger, confusion, anxiety, and desperation are some of the feelings that family members express following a suicide attempt by a young adolescent. The mental health worker who has been working with the teen may be left to wonder - “What did I miss? What didn’t I do? What didn’t I see?...
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Are Bridges Suicide Magnets? They Don’t Have to Be!
Bridges are suicide magnets. But they don’t have to be. San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has the unfortunate distinction of being the most popular suicide destination in the world. It has been the scene of 1,500 deaths by suicide, approximately 30 per year. Results from a comprehensive...
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National Action Alliance on Suicide Prevention Receives Suicide Care Report from Clinical Care and Intervention Task Force
Michael F. Hogan, PhD, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health co-chairs the Clinical Care and Intervention Task Force of the National Action Alliance on Suicide Prevention. In August of 2011 the Task Force completed a sweeping report entitled “Suicide Care in Systems...
