CARIBOU, Maine — September is designated as Suicide Prevention Month and Aroostook Mental Health Center has been partnering with other community organizations to highlight awareness, prevention and local resources that are available to everyone.
“According to the Maine Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Mainers ages 10-45,” said Michelle Ferris, director of emergency services. “AMHC has been busy this month working with a number of other organizations to raise awareness.”
Ferris said Maine’s suicide rate remains higher than the rest of the nation.
“I recently learned that more people in Maine die from suicide than from car accidents or breast cancer, and for every homicide in Maine, there are seven sucides,” she said. “AMHC is available to anyone experiencing a crisis. To access our Mobile Emergency Services team please call or text the Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112.”
Upcoming events this month will include:
Wednesday, Sept. 18: Illuminate Life event at Boys and Girls Club, Presque Isle
Thursday, Sept. 19: UMFK Student Health Fair.
Saturday, Sept. 21: Anxiety and depression screenings at the Cary Medical Center Health Fair on September 21 in Caribou.
The center has aided other organizations in a number of community activities designed to raise awareness and aid in suicide prevention, including the following.
Crisis Intervention Team training for Law Enforcement in Houlton – AMHC collaborated with NAMI Maine (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to train 17 officers on behavioral health issues. The officers were provided tools and resources to manage behavioral health crises in the community.
Suicide Prevention training for Resident Assistants at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
Out of the Darkness Walk, Fort Kent.
Awareness table at Machias Saving Bank, Caribou.
Student presentations on suicide prevention at Van Buren Middle and High Schools.
Celebrating 55 years, AMHC is a nonprofit organization supporting approximately 6,000 clients annually. The agency has 20 service sites and 325 employees located across Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock counties providing mental health, substance use, rehabilitation and social services.
For more information, connect with AMHC at www.amhc.org.
