Let’s be proactive in preventing suicide

Alexis Ferracuti
Posted 9/11/19

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, but it can be prevented.

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Let’s be proactive in preventing suicide

Posted

Dear Editor,
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, but it can be prevented.
After the loss of a friend during my time in college, I became involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I initially began by participating in the walks and raising funds for prevention and research efforts. I was introduced to the advocacy portion of AFSP’s efforts during law school and was fortunate enough to advocate on the national level to our elected officials regarding the importance of mental health funding, research, advocacy and awareness.
When I moved home and began my professional career as a lawyer in Ottawa, I felt compelled to continue to bring those resources to our community. Five years later, I am honored to serve as your walk chair for the yearly Out of the Darkness walk to raise awareness and funds for suicide research and prevention efforts.
During National Suicide Prevention Week, September 8-14, I will be urging my public officials to prioritize suicide prevention and mental health and to “Be the Voice” for the millions of Americans affected by suicide each year.

To prevent suicide, we need to:
1. Invest in suicide prevention research within the National Institute of Mental Health at a level equal to the suicide problem in our country
2. Strengthen oversight for mental health parity at the state and federal levels
3. Fully fund the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255 [TALK]) and local crisis call centers
4.Make Service member and Veteran suicide prevention a national priority
Please join me by calling your members of Congress and your state and local officials to ask them to make suicide prevention the priority it deserves to be, and join us at our LaSalle County walk on Oct. 12 at the Jordan Block park in Ottawa. Register online at www.lasallecowalk.org and join our community of support and awareness.  
Together, we can save lives.
Sincerely,
Alexis Ferracuti
Ottawa