Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States for all ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every day, approximately 105 Americans die by suicide—that’s over 38,000 Americans every year. They leave behind an estimated quarter-million people—spouses, parents, siblings, friends—who become suicide survivors.
For our Chuckwagon Dinner, the U.S.S. Nokomis is directing a portion of the proceeds to SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), a Bloomington-based organization with a national reach in suicide prevention. SAVE’s mission is “to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce stigma and serve as a resource to those touched by suicide.” We do this in memory of Nokomis member Bill Bredesen, who passed in August 2011.
SAVE’s prevention and education programs are designed to:
- Increase knowledge about depression, other brain illnesses and the need for assessment and treatment as suicide prevention.
- Increase knowledge about symptoms of depression and the warning signs of suicidal thinking and behavior.
- Increase understanding and the use of intervention skills that can help avoid the tragedy of suicide.
- Increase knowledge about community resources and how to access and use them.
SAVE also provides customized training programs for:
- Clergy.
- Mental health professionals.
- Medical professionals and others in hospitals and healthcare settings.
- Law enforcement personnel.
- Social services professionals.
- Educators.
Issues such as risk assessment, community-based suicide prevention, environmental safety, gatekeeper training, intervention techniques, and documentation are some of the topics covered in SAVE’s professional education courses.
For every dollar raised, 92 cents goes directly toward programs. SAVE has earned the Independent Charities of America Seal of Excellence, which is awarded to nonprofit charitable organizations that have been independently reviewed annually and certified to meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. Of the 1,000,000+ charities operating in the United States today, fewer than 2,500 have been awarded this Seal. For more information about this worthy organization, go to www.SAVE.org.
