Gov. Steve Sisolak signed two proclamations related to suicide prevention in the State of Nevada.
The first proclamation declares September 2020 as suicide prevention month in Nevada.
Additionally, Gov. Sisolak signed the PREVENTS proclamation, committing Nevada’s full support for the implementation of the PREVENTS ‘Roadmap’ to help identify veterans and other residents in need of care; develop best practices around mental health; prioritize mental health in the workplace; and promote the REACH National Public Health Campaign through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that seeks to increase awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention.
As the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, suicide is a national public health challenge, and the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 35.
On average, 129 Americans die by suicide each day accounting for 47,173 suicide deaths in 2017. The national number of veteran and military suicides has exceeded 6,000 each year from 2008-2017.
By participating in the VA’s Governor’s Challenge program, the State of Nevada is working to bring together interagency teams to address veteran suicide at the state level.
Last month, Nevada was invited to participate in the Governor’s Challenge Community Expansion Project event, marking the growth in Nevada to rural areas in this national suicide prevention program sponsored by the VA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), with technical assistance from the Governor’s Challenge To Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) Technical Assistance Center (TA).
