Brain Health hosts community conversation about suicide

About 80 people gathered in the Generations Events Center Friday morning for a community conversation about mental health.
The group included a diverse mix of local leaders in city, county and school government and also mental health professionals from local and regional organizations.
Angela Nolz, mental health counselor at Sanford Luverne Clinic, said the goal of the meeting was to increase understanding of how suicide affects community members and identify ways to prevent it.
“As most of you know, our community has been affected heavily over a number of years with suicides, and our aim is to reduce suicide along with educating those around us,” she said.
“I want to thank everyone for being here to have these difficult but important conversations.”
An important component of Friday’s meeting focused on round table discussions.
“What we’d like to hear from you is your ideas about what’s going well in our community and what else we need to adopt to create improvement,” Nolz said.
Groups were asked to discuss several questions:
•If someone approached you and shared that they were struggling with their mental health, would you know what to do? If yes, list the resources you would use.
•If you or someone close experiences loss by suicide, what are your coping skills or resources you would use at this time?
•What barriers keep people in our community from receiving the help they need with their mental health?
•How can we help our youth feel more comfortable about seeking support for their mental health and suicide prevention?
•How can we help parents feel more comfortable about discussing mental health and suicide prevention?
•How can we help our grandparents and elderly population to have the discussion about mental health and suicide prevention?
•What did you come here hoping to share today but have not had the opportunity to share?
Nolz organized Friday’s conversation with Luverne School guidance counselor Amy Cook, Luverne School social worker Stacy Schepel, Jennifer Stratton of Southwestern Mental Health and Sherri Smith with Minnesota courts and chemical dependency support.
They and other professionals meet monthly as part of Luv1LuvAll Brain Health Group that was approved last fall for a Pathway to Care grant through the Minnesota Health Department.
It's a two-year grant for suicide prevention, and Friday’s meeting was part of a community assessment related to the grant.
“We’re asking what are the things we’re doing well, and what are the things that aren’t happening that need to occur?” Nolz said.
“The community engagement piece is really at the heart of this.”
She said the group has had training on language and messaging. “Because how we talk about these things matters,” Nolz said. “
The goal is to build a community resource list and make sure there are tools for screening and referral processes.
“I feel like we have a really good team of people working on this and everybody is really passionate about what we’re doing.”
Nolz encouraged everyone in the room to be part of the solution for preventing suicide, no matter how small their role.
“One of the things I’ve thought about is when we’ve had hard years and hard situations that have occurred, it’s really easy to decide this is just too big and too hard,” she said.
Once Friday’s information is reviewed, a broader community conversation may be scheduled at a later date related to mental health and suicide prevention.
 
June 5 planning meeting for Sept. 15 suicide prevention walk
Meanwhile, plans are underway for the 2023 Out of the Darkness Luverne Walk to Prevent Suicide on Sept. 16 in Luverne City Park.
It’s a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which provides research, education and advocacy to prevent suicide.
Nolz said the Sept. 16 walk promotes health and wellness by encouraging people to get out and walk together for a common cause.
“It’s an excellent way to give back to your community and to show your support to those affected by suicide,” she said.
To involve the community ahead of the event, the group is inviting the public to a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, June 5, in Luverne City Park.
Nolz can be reached at angela.nolz@sanfordhealth.org.