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The City of East Palo Alto is taking an important step toward mental health awareness and suicide prevention by officially designating September 2024 as Suicide Prevention Month (SPM).
This proclamation will be made during the City Council meeting on September 3, 2024, reflecting the City’s commitment to fostering a caring community and empowering residents to prevent suicide.
The 2024 theme for Suicide Prevention Month, “Love Over Loneliness,” highlights the importance of social connection in combating loneliness, a critical issue today.
Earlier this year, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring loneliness a public health crisis, emphasizing the need to promote social connection within our communities.
According to the 2023 San Mateo County Health and Quality of Life Survey, 45 percent of residents reported experiencing struggles with loneliness and isolation. Now more than ever, it is vital that we find ways to connect with one another.
Each year, the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity and the Suicide Prevention Committee publishes an Events Calendar that broadly promotes Suicide Prevention Month activities to local providers, partners, and the community.
The City of East Palo Alto is calling on residents to support each other by recognizing the signs of suicide, finding the words to start a conversation and reaching out to local resources, such as the San Mateo County StarVista Crisis Hotline at (650) 579-0350 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK.
He also said he remains committed to raising mental health awareness as part of the San Mateo County Mayors Mental Health Initiative. The countywide effort brings together mayors from 20 cities with the shared goal of promoting access to mental health resources and raising awareness within their communities.
Finally, the East Palo Alto City Council called on all residents to find their role in suicide prevention and join the effort to create a safer and more supportive community for all.
Let us join together to “know the signs, find the words, and reach out.”
You may be interested in: Poor mental health, low access to health services among biggest challenges in San Mateo County: study
