Sitka | Alaska has a suicide rate about double the national average. And when people die by suicide, friends and family can find themselves struggling with difficult emotions.
“They leave a lot of victims. That’s why we want to try to prevent suicide – that’s one aspect – but also we want to try and help those that are left behind,” said Sheryl McAllister, who works for the behavioral health/suicide prevention program at SEARHC.
Tomorrow is International Survivors of Suicide Day – a time for those left behind to come together and support one another. The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC, is holding events tomorrow at 9 a.m., to line up with other events occurring simultaneously around the globe.
“And we want to let people know they are not alone, and that there is help out there. There’s others out there that can share with them, talk with you, and help you to get through it, survive, and come to a better place with it,” she said.
The Sitka event gets underway at 9 a.m. Saturday at the At Kiník Hít Community Health Building over on the hospital’s campus – that’s the building with the totem pole. McAllister says SEARHC also will hold a community healing circle at 7 p.m. Saturday, also at the Community Health Building.
In Klawock: 1 p.m. at the Alicia Roberts Medical Center blue conference room, 7100 Klawock-Hollis Hwy.
In Juneau: SEARHC staff will team up with the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition as it hosts an event at 2 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church, 411 Gold St.
The video that will be screened in Sitka on Saturday is also available online at afsp.org.
Suicide Prevention Resources
Regional hotline: 877-294-0074
Statewide hotline: 877-266-4357
National hotline: 800-273-TALK (8255)
