Lenape Valley Foundation recently hosted the 2023 Suicide Prevention Conference, an annual event focused on practical strategies for suicide prevention and best practices to help individuals in need. Co-hosted by the Bucks County Suicide Prevention Task Force, it was held Oct. 18, at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland.
“We are honored to partner with Bucks County Suicide Prevention Task Force to shed light on this important topic and make a positive difference in our community through the power of education,” said Sharon Curran, CEO of Lenape Valley Foundation. “Suicide impacts so many of us, and we belive that by uniting together and sharing knowledge, we can save lives and spare families and communities from experiencing these tragedies.”
The event was open to the public and attended by behavioral health professionals, students, educators, first responders, counseling and nursing professionals, and family members.
Lenape Valley Foundation therapists Graham Craig, Amanda Senske, Jacquelyn Koellner and Kate McGinley presented sessions on their clinical work regarding suicide prevention and intervention, and Dr. Guy Diamond discussed attachment-based family therapy, a model he co-developed for families and individuals affected by adolescent depression and suicide. Michelle Wolf discussed her personal experience with suicide, which led to the founding of Abbey’s Bakery, an organization dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and providing resources to those who may be suffering.
In 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 77 people in Bucks County died by suicide; 8 out of 10 were male and 2 out of 10 were female, according to the Pennsylvania Violent Death Reporting System. A little more than half of the victims were ages 30 to 59, 1 in 4 were ages 60 to 69, 1 in 10 were ages 20 to 29, 3 percent were ages 10 to 19, 4 percent were 80 or older, and 5 percent were ages 70 to 79.
The Bucks County Suicide Prevention Task Force aims to reduce those numbers. The task force organizes events, leads initiatives and brings together stakeholders devoted to stopping deaths by suicide. Its mission is to reduce stigma, increase the number of individuals seeking help, decrease suicides and support individuals who have lost loved ones to suicide in Bucks Conty. Jennifer McGlinchey, Lenape Valley Foundation director of residential and peer services, currently serves as a co-chair of the taskforce.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
