September is National Suicide Prevention Month, which spotlights the issues in Connecticut and across the U.S.

Although suicide rates in Connecticut are low, there still are ways to prevent those deaths.

Andrea Duarte, co-chair of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board, said it can be challenging for physicians to spot signs that a person might be considering suicide.

While a physician might suspect there is something wrong from changes in patients' health, there are other methods of seeing how close someone is to committing suicide.

But, Duarte said, how a person thinks of suicide can change depending on their current circumstances.

"Some people may struggle chronically with suicidal thinking - just like you have a chronic, other type of disease," said Duarte. "And there will be ups and downs and ebbs and flows to that, and sometimes you'll have increased levels of severity and sometimes you'll have less. It's important to understand the spectrum of thinking."

One tool that has become easy for physicians to utilize is the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. This is a short list of questions that can tell a clinician where a person's mental health is at that moment.

Doing this can help a doctor understand the right course of action for providing a person with the proper course of mental-health treatment.

Although mental health has come a long way over the last decade, there are some worries over stigmas surrounding suicide. According to Mental Health America, about 25% of adults in the U.S. are experiencing some kind of mental illness.

Duarte said she finds that despite the progress made to destigmatize mental health, there's more to be done.

"Sometimes, it depends on population," said Duarte. "You can have certain populations that feel that having a mental illness or poor mental health is a sign of weakness or that thinking of suicide is a sign of weakness. Or, even is against a religion. So, there's a lot of stigma built up around mental health."

Duarte said it doesn't have anything to do with weakness. Rather, people might be traumatized from their current circumstances resulting in poor mental health, or a history of trauma.

It can be challenging to overcome these stigmas due to the culture that has built up over the years. She said that just as with physical health, everyone has mental health.

In July, the National Suicide Hotline established a simpler phone number for people to call - 988. However, Connecticut residents have multiple options for reaching the National Suicide Hotline - such as dialing 211 or using the original Suicide Hotline number.

She said she hopes people will understand that dialing this number isn't just for those with severe thoughts of suicide, but for those on the spectrum of suicidal thinking.

"It's important that people understand that the majority of people who call," said Duarte, "are not necessarily having to be referred for what we call an active rescue because they're not at imminent risk."

Duarte said she hopes anyone who is suffering from suicidal thoughts does contact 988 or look into mental-health treatment options. For more information, visit preventsuicidect.org.

Alzheimer's disease is the eighth-leading cause of death in Pennsylvania.

A documentary on the topic debuts Saturday in Pittsburgh. "Remember Me: Dementia in the African American Community" features individuals and families who are dealing with memory loss.

C. Nathaniel Brown, founder and CEO of Expected End Entertainment and a former Pittsburgh resident, said his aunt lives with dementia, which sparked his interest in talking with others to find out more about the disease and how it affects communities of color.

"The first thing I found out was that there are over 100 types of dementia," Brown noted. "And the more I learned, the more I realized how much it was impacting the African American community disproportionately. We're twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or some other progressive type of dementia."

The film will be shown at the Carnegie Library in Homewood, from Noon to 3 p.m. ET. It is free, but registration is required. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than half of Black Americans believe major declines in memory and cognitive function are simply a normal part of aging, rather than symptoms of Alzheimer's or dementia.

Brown added after the screening, there will be a question-and-answer session and community organizations will be there to provide resources.

"Allegheny County Health Department will be present, the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's disease Research Center will be there," Brown outlined. "The Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania organization will be there, as well as several people who were interviewed for the film, including counselors, professionals."

He mentioned the documentary features the late Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr. Brown said Gossett emphasized the importance of leaving a legacy by educating people about living with Alzheimer's, steps to take after diagnosis, and preventive measures.


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Boulder and Broomfield County residents can now access mental health services the same way they can access urgent medical care.

Dr. Nadia Haddad, medical director of mental health services with Mental Health Partners, said all too often, people can't get help unless they are already connected with an outpatient provider, and many have months-long waiting lists. She said if people have to wait for care, their situation can get worse, and what might have been a manageable issue can turn into a crisis.

"They are going to the emergency room or going to a psychiatric hospital. And so what we're trying to do is fill that gap so that people can get connected with services when they need it, on a walk-in basis," she said.

Mental Health Partners, a community mental health center serving Boulder and Broomfield counties for 60 years, recently launched UrgentPsych Mental Health and Substance Use Urgent Care. The walk-in program provides immediate, in-person support for urgent mental health and substance use needs for anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, whether or not they are an existing client, or speak English. For more information about the 24-hour facility in northeast Boulder, call 303-443-8500.

Mental Health Partners' new Intensive Family Services program provides in-home therapy for K through 12 youth with disruptive behaviors who are at risk of being placed in foster care or the juvenile justice system. The urgent care facility is also available to people of all ages.

"That's another really challenging part of seeking out services. Care for children and adolescents is often even more challenging to find. There are fewer child psychiatrists out there," she said.

Both new programs were created in part to get people the services they need to avoid hospitalization. But Haddad said when people do reach a point where they need 24/7 monitoring and daily visits from a medical provider, it is essential that people can access hospital-level care.

"The vast majority of people who are dealing with mental health-related issues do not require hospitalization. If we can change people's trajectories earlier, we can prevent mental suffering, and they may not have to go through the hospital," she explained.


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This is National Library Week, honoring the many roles that libraries play in their communities.

In central Texas, a pilot program is using the public library system to expand mental health services in rural areas.

Residents in four counties can get assistance at their local public library through the Libraries for Health program.

Trained mental health peer specialists evaluate clients and refer them to clinics for additional help if it's needed.

The program is funded through the St. David's Foundation, working to advance health equity in Central Texas.

The foundation's Senior Program Officer Abena Asante said the initiative works in tandem with the mental health community.

"It's in no way taking the place of clinical-directed psychologists," said Asante. "It's just one community response in addressing the lack of mental wellness resources in rural communities."

Asante said libraries are trusted and accessible gathering places for people living in rural areas. The libraries tailor programs to meet specific local needs based on feedback from the residents.

Data collected during the 3.5-year pilot program will be used to evaluate its success. The nonprofit Via Hope trains the peer specialists who work in the libraries.

Dr. Sandra Smith, vice president of Via Hope, said the staffers use their own life experiences to help them relate to the clients.

"They have to have had a mental health challenge at some point in their life," said Smith. "We don't ask them any specifics about that, we don't ask diagnoses - it's a self-disclosure."

The Libraries for Health program operates in eight libraries in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays and Williamson counties. If successful, it could be implemented in other parts of the state.





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