The final meeting of the Jones County Suicide Prevention Coalition for 2024 had good news for the initiative.
The first good news at the Dec. 10 meeting was there had not been a death by suicide since the October meeting. More good news was presented by Ariel Ajero with Augusta University in that the joint coalition grant had been funded for another five years.
Jones County began the fourth year in the current grant from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities in October.
Brandon Warrick began the meeting, welcoming attendees, and Ajero gave updates on the coalition’s Partners in Prevention Project, aimed to deter students from the use of vaping, alcohol and tobacco use.
She said focus groups were held with eighth graders at Gray Station and Clifton Ridge Middle Schools for ideas about positive norms posters. The purpose of the posters is to draw attention to the fact that most students do not to use vapes, tobacco or drink alcohol.
Ajero said the project Alert and Catch My Breath programs had been completed. She said packets had been distributed to students in kindergarten through third grade. Ajero went on to say that 20 cohorts had been completed, and 428 students were reached in those programs.
The student health surveys have also been completed at CRMS and GSMS.
“Community engagement reached over 3,500 at the Not So Scary Grayberry event,” she said.
After reporting there were no deaths by suicide in October or November, Ashley Prager with Augusta University talked about QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) and Gatekeeper training. She said locally Joy Carr is the contact for the training.
Prager said other resources are listed on the Link Tree page with information for resources that are local, state and national. She said information is also available on the Jones County Suicide Coalition Facebook and Instagram pages.
“We are excited we can continue our work for another five years,” Prager said.
The speaker led a discussion and work session on the topic of suicide prevention deliverables to close out the meeting. During the discussion it was noted that the Jones County Family Engagement Team has put together 30 packets that have been distributed to local business with suicide prevention and crisis line information, and Music Medics of Gray is prepared to distribute more than 1,000 bags they assembled filled with candy and crisis help information during the Gray Christmas Parade.
Three suicides have been reported in 2024. Jones County Coroner Matt Jarratt said the three deaths include a 34-year-old male in February, a 17-year-old male in March and a 58-year-old male in September.
Two of the deaths were the result of asphyxia by hanging, and one from a gunshot wound.
Jones County had 15 deaths by suicide between the years of 2021 to 2024.
Firearms were used in 53 percent of the suicide deaths. Ninety-three percent of the deaths were Caucasian males, and 54 percent of those were between the ages of 25 and 44 years of age.
The prevention goal is to decrease the stigma of reaching out for help, and the emphasis for the coalition has been to focus on the resources available for anyone in crisis.
Help is available for everyone 24/7 with the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
