La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative hosts Awareness Event and Summit this week

The La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative (SPI) was formed 20 years ago by a small group of concerned, compassionate and motivated individuals.

SPI Board Member Deb Mahr came in to tell us more about the amazing things they’ve done in the past year alone, and what they’re looking forward to this week and beyond:

SPI has been able to place three signs on Grandad’s Bluff that say, “Your Life Matters Call or Text 988.” They also have placed three signs on Miller Bluff that say the same. SPI knows from county data that these areas are substantial risk locations. Recently they placed a total of nine signs on the Cass Street and Cameron Street Bridges. These signs read “For Emergency Counseling Call or Text 988”. There are three signs on the stairwells leading up to the bridges with the same message. These signs have been in the works for a long time. SPI ran into many political roadblocks. So why did they feel this was needed? Because, if they can prevent one person from ending their life with the reminder that “Your Life Matters” it is worth it!

The La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative Awareness Event will be held Wednesday, September 18, at Riverside Park from 6:00- 7:30 pm. La Crosse area resident Melissa McCarthy will share her personal journey and entertain us with music. In addition, we will hear from a member of the Arcadia Community, who reached out to SPI for resources and support during a tragic event. There will be resource tables on site from multiple community organizations. The Memorial chair display will be there, too.

This alone makes such an Impact by showing just how many suicides our community has experienced over the years. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. Please join us, connect and have some fun.

RSVP on Facebook HERE.

Their Suicide Prevention Summit is Thursday, September 19, 2024, from 8:45- 4:15 at the Student Union, UW-La Crosse.

The mission of the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative is to promote awareness of suicide and to address this as a serious public health problem.

Their keynote speaker, Sara Kohlbeck Ph.D., Public and Community Health, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin will present “Implementing Suicide Review: A Pathway to Prevention.” Fatality review is an evidence-based practice that helps with the prevention of unintentional and intentional deaths. Suicide review is a relatively new community of practice but is proving to be very useful. Her afternoon keynote is “Using Storytelling to Understand Suicide in Wisconsin.” A lot of our understanding of suicide comes from vital statics and epidemiological surveillance. Using storytelling, including interviews, can provide much needed context to help us understand suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

In addition to the keynote addresses, there are concurrent sessions in both the morning and afternoon. Other topics that will be discussed are: Ways to prevent burnout, Survivors and resilience, Brain Injury and suicidal risk, Factors that may contribute to suicide and veterans, Finding a way out of the dark tunnel, Suicidal thoughts and autism, Prevention for Faith Leaders, Resiliency among non-practitioners and Year-round counseling services.

Registration is required HERE.