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Suicide prevention
grant received
(June
2006 Issue)
By Elinor Nelson
It may not be what people expect, but the highest suicide rates
occur in the middle aged male and elderly populations - and Riverside
Community Care, a non-profit organization that provides mental health
and related services in 58 communities in eastern and central Massachusetts,
has won a Massachusetts Department of Public Health grant to implement
a suicide prevention program focused on those groups.
Larry Berkowitz, Ed.D, director of Riverside's Wakefield Outpatient
Center, will help to lead this initiative. He says "the idea is
to identify strategies in different communities to affect suicide
rates." More than 400 suicides occurred overall last year in Massachusetts.
That rate reflects more than three times the number of homicides.
The elderly account for 20% of all suicides, but represent only
13% of the population and suicide in the 30-49 age range accounts
for 45% of all suicides, with men four times more likely than women
to kill themselves.
Berkowitz explains that the efforts will be aimed at the "gatekeepers,"
such as visiting nurses, home health aides and elder service providers
as well as primary care physicians and their staffs.
"The goal," says Berkowitz, "is to try to help people who are most
likely to come in contact with [those at risk] to identify signs
and symptoms of depression and/or suicidality."
During the first year, Riverside plans to train a minimum of five
gatekeeper groups for elders and the staff of another five primary
care medical practices. They will provide instruction in conducting
brief screenings and in how best to refer people for mental health
services. Additionally, Riverside hopes to conduct screenings in
five centers where elders gather and in five places where middle
aged men gather, as well as a screening at a professional association
for medical professionals (because they have a slightly higher risk
of suicide).
They also plan to conduct a screening for a large employer through
its employee assistance program.
Using grant money, Riverside has hired a clinical social worker
who will network with the gatekeeper groups, provide on-site training
and serve as an informational resource.
Riverside is one of six organizations to receive these grants,
but, Berkowitz says, the only one also planning to embark on "postvention"
work in schools where a suicide has occurred. Riverside has a Critical
Incident Team that has already worked in this area with the goal
of avoiding a "suicide cluster" which, Berkowitz says, is more common
with adolescent and young adult groups. They work with the students
and staff to "help the kids not to pledge to keep secrets."
Although the grant totals $25,000 per year for three years, Berkowitz
is hopeful that Riverside will subsequently be able to earn additional
grants to help pay for its programs.
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