PUBLIC HEALTH
The big news announced at the Jones County Suicide Prevention Coalition and Partners in Prevention Project was another month with no suicides. That continues the trend that began with the new year in January.
The April 25 meeting was led by Brandon Warrick with Augusta University. Following an icebreaker, Warrick went into program updates. He said from 2017 to 2021, death by suicide was the 15th leading cause of death in Jones County.
That may sound like a lot but it is actually down from 2013-17 statistics from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities that ranked Jones County 10th in the state for the number of deaths by suicide and ranked death by suicide the ninth leading cause of death.
That makes 15th sound like a significant decrease.
Those statistics were the reason for the creation of the coalition that began in 2019. The numbers have gone up and down with three reported in 2021 but back up to eight in 2022.
Richmond County also had a high rate of deaths by suicide, and the two counties partnered for a BHDD grant to do something about it.
The purpose of the coalition is to bring awareness to the problem and create easy access to help. Jones County educators have gotten on board, making up more than half the attendees at the meeting.
Dr. Martha Tingen of Augusta University is leading the charge.
“Our goal is to keep it at zero; losing one life is too many,” she said.
Tingen said Jones County is proof that the program works.
Warrick said summer mailers for students with information about help and resources for anyone contemplating suicide or needing someone to talk to was discussed at last month’s meeting. The mailers were first proposed to be mailed to high school students, but educators expressed the opinion of including middle-school students.
Joy Carr with Jones County Family Connection, who coordinates the Jones County effort, said the middleschool leaders wanted to see the graphics before making a decision.
Tingen said the mailers were used last summer in Columbia County and received a positive reaction. She said parent guidance can be included as a supplement. The card has a QR code that goes to Linktree, a tool that shares multiple links on social media and provides multiple resources.
Coalition member Julie King, who is the branch manager of the Jones County Library, asked to include information about the Sensitive Subjects area at the library that has books for all ages on topics such as bullying, divorce and suicide prevention.
Tingen said the Jones County Coalition would have the final approval of the mailers. She also asked for honest feedback when the drafts are received.
“If there is something you don’t like, please tell us,” she said.
She said the mailers, which go directly to students’ homes, have the benefit of also being seen by parents.
Information is distributed to students at math and science nights, field day events and Jones County’s Back to School Bash. Carr said this year’s event will be at Gray Station Middle School July 20. She said the event is a good opportunity to provide information to parents.
Warrick said Carr received moremedicine lockboxes, and anyone who would like one should contact her.
Tingen said students taking parents and grandparents’ medicine is a reality, and the lock boxes help prevent that.
Warrick said there were 374 viewers of the coalition’s Facebook page the past month. He said Jones County has 300 gatekeepers who have received QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training. Tingen added that the purpose of the training is to help reduce the stigma of reaching out for help.
Carr said the QPR Training is being incorporated into the preplanning days for Jones County educators.
Tingen said Jones County needs to think about training a group of students.
“Those in crisis typically reach out to a peer,” she said. “A handful of students could make a big difference.”
She said first responders have a higher death by suicide rate, and Jones County EMA is interested in getting more instructors trained.
She said the “My Ascension” documentary has a powerful message from a teen who attempted to take her life but now is paralyzed.
“This is a true story, and she uses her message to help others,” Tingen said.
Warrick said another program is the Hope Squad that is a peer lead group with advisors. Tingen said it educates about anti-bullying as well as suicide prevention. She said a meeting was being held immediately following the coalition meeting to speak with Jones County leaders about the creation of a Hope Squad at JCHS.
Giulianna Larosa talked about the ‘Catch My Breath’ program that has been held at JCHS. She said it’s a four-week program about the dangers of vaping and 190 students completed the program.
“This is an evidencebased prevention program that talks about the chemicals inhaled. The goal is to help them make a healthy choice,” Larosa said.
She said another program, Project Alert, addresses alcohol. It was an 11-session program for eighth graders at Clifton Ridge. Larosa said the program is taught using skits and games and was completed April 10.
She said a Positive Social Norms campaign had been conducted at both middle schools with messages specific to the schools. The campaign included posters that were rotated to get the attention of students in addition to bookbags, cups, highlighter pens and folders printed with positive messages.
Larose said they get feedback from focus groups before and after the campaign.
Coalition member Leslie Poythress said they have also been reaching out to Jones County’s Achievement Academy students.
The next meeting of the Coalition is scheduled May 23 at 10 a.m. in the Community Room of JCHS.
