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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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Predicting Suicide: Difficulties for Treatment Professionals
A widely quoted clinical aphorism is that there are two kinds of therapists: those who have experienced the loss of a patient to suicide, and those who haven’t yet. Although the expression sounds a bit nihilistic, this adage conveys a warning to those clinicians who have not experienced a...
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Point of View – Elder Suicide: A Public Health Challenge of the Elder Boom
By the age of 88, Mr. W.* had lost most of his closest friends to death or dementia. His children had moved to other parts of the country. He saw them and his grandchildren rarely. He had retired from his long career as a teacher without finding new interests. But he and his wife were happy. They...
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From the Publisher – Surviving Suicide: All Things Must Pass
We all walk a very thin line in our lives—a line of normal feelings and behavior. At any moment we might fall off that line and descend into the darkness of mental illness. For people with mental illness, their families and loved ones, this concept is well known. Brain chemistry, genetics, or...
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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...
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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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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...
