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Westchester, Explained 24: You Are Not Alone - Inside Westchester's 988 Lifeline and Suicide Prevention Resources · This Week in Westchester: The Podcast

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_02: Hi Westchester.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Westchester County Government Communications Director Katherine Chaffee.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_02: And as an extension of This Week in Westchester, the podcast, we welcome you to Westchester Explained.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_02: In this episode, we recognize Suicide Prevention Month in advance of 988 day on September 8th by taking a closer look at the resources, support, and people working to prevent suicide here in Westchester County.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: We sit down with local mental health and suicide prevention experts to discuss the warning signs and misconceptions surrounding suicide and how we can better support someone who may be struggling and the importance of breaking the stigma around conversations about mental health.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: We also explore Westchester's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, where residents can call or text 988 at any time to connect with a trained crisis counselor, as well as the community efforts taking place throughout September for the Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_02: Join us as we discuss how awareness, conversation, and knowing where to turn for help can save lives and why it matters to Westchester residents.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: Because this is Westchester explained.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: So let's begin.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: So today in the podcast studio, we are recognizing September being Suicide Prevention Month, and we have three guests uh with us today.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: Can you please introduce yourself?
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Hi.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um my name is Angela Jacobs.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: I am the program director for the Crisis Prevention and Response Team based out of St.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: Vincent's Hospital.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: We are a division of St.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: George's Medical Center in Yonkers, and we house the 988 Call Center for uh Westchester County.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, great.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, I'm Annette Peters Rivolo.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: I work at Westchester County's Department of Community Mental Health.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also the co-chair of our Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition.
• 2:01
  unknown: Okay.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Maria Idoni, the Executive Director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hudson Valley Westchester chapter.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, terrific.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you so much for being with us today.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_02: And this is a very um important topic and one that we do talk about in September, but we should be talking about all the time.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: But let's start broadly.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_02: So, what do you want people to understand about suicide prevention that they might not understand today?
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: So I think what I would want people to understand is that it's okay not to be okay, not to be okay, and that you don't have to be alone.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline comes in.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um and not everyone knows about 988, that it's the the free and confidential service that's answered locally here in the county.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: And and people just have to dial 988.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: Explain this.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_02: So so you pick up your phone, cell phone landline, whatever.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: Cell phone landline, and you dial 988 three digits.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um or you can text.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: So you can pick up your phone and you can text 988 and and you're linked to a live trained counselor who's here in Westchester County, like I said, based out of uh St.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: Vincent's Hospital in Harrison.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: And you have this anonymous service that that that you can help.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: Why is this obvious answer here?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_02: But why is this such a huge resource for us here in the county?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I think that that this is a huge resource because people don't know about the resources, actually.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think that Westchester County has a wealth of resources that people don't know.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: And 988 is the hub to that, to those resources, whether it be a mental health crisis, a substance abuse crisis.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: And then it leads to what's your definition of crisis?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, your definition and my definition might be two different things.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you think about sitting around the table with your family or your next event with your friends, I thought there's someone there who maybe could use some help.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's that prevalent.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: And not enough people know about it.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: So um again, we talk about, and we're going to talk a lot about 988 because I agree with you.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's a tremendous resource and people need to have it at their fingertips should they ever find themselves in a position where they need it.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_02: But we talk a lot about, you know, we talk about suicide prevention.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: We talk about um the community being supportive of suicide prevention.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: But what does that actually look like in the community?
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: We have 988.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: What else do we have?
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_03: May I also promote the 988 that you can call 988 if you aren't in crisis for somebody else?
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_03: If you're with somebody who's having a problem, you could call 988 and say, I'm with my friend and she's going through a crisis, and they'll walk you through the situation and what to do.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_03: It's yes, it's such an important resource because suicide is preventable and 988 makes it possible for anyone to help anyone else.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: What are the trends?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: What are we seeing now?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: Is it is it on the increase in Westchester?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_02: Has it decreased?
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_02: Has social media made everything worse?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like what is happening?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: The numbers in Westchester County have not changed too much in the last 20 years.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: We tend to be between anywhere between 60 and 78 people per year, which is still too much.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: It still seems like suicide.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: And um the trends seem to be sometimes all over the place.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: It depends.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we have seen a rise in uh older adults, um, way more than younger adults.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so those are some of the trends that we have seen.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: But again, that's still too many for 2025.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we had 66 individuals that we lost to suicide, um, and we'll be honoring them this month in September.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: What do you think is the biggest misconception about suicide?
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: I'd love to hear from all of you on this.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: I think that you have to get professional help that's the only way you can be saved.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um having a conversation with someone in the moment can save that person.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_03: So, like that's why we stress with the 988 that it's so important because as we say, anyone can help someone.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: I think another misconception is that by talking about suicide with someone, yes.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know, but that would make them that think about it.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's that's a myth that people don't say one of the biggest ones.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_03: And the stigma again, suicide.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_03: We all know that there is a stigma talking about our mental health.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_03: I remember doing a presentation for doctors, and I um I'd spoken to one of them ahead of time.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_03: She broke her arm, and I asked the room, how many of you asked Dr.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_03: So-and-so what happened?
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_03: And everybody raised their hands.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, if Dr.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_03: So-and-so came in visibly upset, you could tell something was wrong for a couple of days.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_03: How many would ask what was wrong?
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_03: And one, maybe two people raised their hand and they spoke, because that's personal.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_03: That's what you don't want to put health.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: We it's it's not our business, her mental health.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so is the lesson from that exercise that you do need to ask?
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's everybody's help.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_03: Asking is not going to put the thought in their head.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: And like you said, that is the very misconception.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um, CDC has proven asking about suicide will not put the thought in someone's head if they weren't already thinking about suicide.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_03: So we encourage somebody if you if you're questioning if something's going on, start the conversation with them.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's also difficult sometimes in the we obviously all spend a lot of time at work.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, you see somebody who is upset and you want to ask, like, oh, is our fair okay, but you don't want to pry and it's work and you want to remain professional.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_02: What are the rules around that?
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_03: We always say start with but in our industry we call invitations, start with what's going on.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: If it's your coworker and you notice that they've been missing work, showing up late for meetings, not responding to emails, all the things you're noticing, bring those up to them to start the conversation.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I've noticed you've been missing work, you don't respond to emails, you're not participating in any, you know, activities like you used to bring up what's going on, what you're concerned about.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_03: Say these are, you know, I'm upset, I'm concerned about you.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_03: Is everything okay?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: Are you thinking of suicide?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: Now, um, obviously, at least in my feeds, maybe because I'm a mom, my social media feeds are uh filled with this Lindsay Clancy case in Massachusetts.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_02: We're not going to get into it because there are a lot of people have very strong opinions about what happened there, but um there were she was telling people that she needed help.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, generally speaking, are people who are struggling, are they asking for help or are there other signs people should be aware of?
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think there are a number of ways that people ask for help that aren't necessarily like coming out and asking for help.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that's really where it we try to encourage people to really have an environment of already having open communication about a lot of things, right?
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: So it's people that have certain patterns and as as uh Maria had pointed out, that it's changed, you know, what something's different.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you notice that something's different, and it's not being afraid to ask those questions.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, and that's the kicker is that we encourage people to actually ask that question.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Are you considering suicide?
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Which that's the thing that's people can ask people, oh, how are you feeling?
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: What's up?
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: You know, but they don't always ask that.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the important, that's the most important question.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: So forward.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds very forward, it seems kind of aggressive, but you even I've even practiced in the mirror of, you know, how do you say this to somebody?
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: And how do you say this to your kid?
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: How do you say this to your friend?
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: And how can you sort of bring it into a conversation where it starts to feel more natural because it it has to, you know, that you have to sort of get past that being afraid of the words.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because as we're saying, it's it's not going to make things worse.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: You can only make things better.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and hopefully they'll be in a position to be honest with you about how they're feeling.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then if you panic and you don't know what to do, that's what 988 is for.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: If you even want to practice with someone from 988, you could talk to them ahead of time.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: That's sort of our message is that no matter what, just call.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's what 988 is for.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: They've gotten thousands of calls already.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and they're from everything from, you know, they're concerned about a loved one to really being someone who is in crisis in that moment.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I encourage people that if you know anyone that you might think at some point may use 988, call them now when it's not an emergency.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Call with them when it's not an emergency, because then you'll see what it's like.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: It won't be so scary.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: It won't be this thing of, oh, we're gonna call and the cops are gonna come or this is gonna happen or that's gonna happen.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: You'll actually be able to speak to someone to talk about what 988 will can do for you.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I want to I want to jump more into 988, but but I do want to go back to one thing you said.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're with a person and you say to them, Are you considering suicide?
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: And they say yes, what do you do in that very moment?
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: What do you do?
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: Do you call 911?
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what do you do?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: I would not start by calling 901.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get that off the table.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: Because they're, you know, there's what I would call passive suicidal thoughts.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's you're not gonna act on those, but that maybe you're just I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: I'm having a tough day.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it it doesn't mean that that 911 needs to be called, it just it means you need to talk to somebody.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: But should they not be left alone?
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, what then then we're gonna maybe go into what I would call more of like a safety planning.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: So let's let's let's talk about those thoughts.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: What do they mean?
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then you come up with a plan.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: Are are they hopeful for tomorrow?
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: Are they gonna go to work tomorrow?
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: Are they gonna go to school tomorrow?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um let's let's just make sure that they're safe.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_02: And something else you mentioned, you mentioned um people who are concerned about their children, concerned about their coworkers, their friends, their loved ones.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_02: Young people today, teenagers today.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: Has the stigma around mental health changed from say like the the 2000s, early 2000s, the 90s, the 80s, the 70s, certainly the 60s?
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: Has it changed?
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: Are young people today more open to talking about this?
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: I think they are in a way.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: They're definitely more in tuned, but I think there's also a danger of them being so in tuned that it almost isn't a big deal.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of a it's it's I don't know that I'm expressing it as well as I could be.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: But I think that because I have a 20-year-old and she's very in tune with her feelings, her friends were all in tune with their feelings, but there's oh there's still that sort of it gets to a point and then it's sort of like that they still have struggle with sort of like that next step of getting help.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's always gonna be a thing for for a very long time.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: But I think each each move that we make to, you know, talk about things, because the thing is what happens, everyone that talks to somebody, when you finally talk to someone, they know someone who has been through this.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's always amazing to me that it's still something that can be so stigmatized when when you actually start to talk to people, everyone knows someone who has either thought about suicide, has attempted suicide, or has lost someone to suicide.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's something that really should be more out there.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think it is difficult.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's difficult because as much as they are very much on social media, what I like to say, living their lives very much out loud, there's still, I think, a it ha it gets washed out because there's still such a comparison there.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: They're still trying to keep up with the other kids and there's still such a what you what your social media face looks like is so important that it's it's we s what we're trying to do, I guess, is make it cool to be into 988 and be something that is not a big deal to call.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah um and have more and more of them experience it and tell their friends about it and have people have positive experiences.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: I know Angela has many, many positive experiences to share about how 988 has been going here in Westchester.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: Well, let's let's just jump into 988.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_02: So, first of all, 988, um, walk us through what happens.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_02: So we call right now, somebody answers.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: We call in the middle of the night, somebody answers 24 hours a day.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: So 24-7, you tell the three numbers, you've took the three numbers, you'll have first there'll be a voice message, you know.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we have a there's a veterans line, so they'll press one for veterans, press two um for Spanish.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: So you'll hear that first, and then you'll be connected to a counselor 24-7.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, if that counselor is busy, you're connected to another counselor.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: There's always someone who's available.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then there's the follow-up piece too.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: So it doesn't have to just be one phone call.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: If you had one phone call, we might say, Hey, can I give you a call back tomorrow and check in?
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: Can I give you a call back in a couple of days?
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: See if that resource worked for you.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it doesn't have to just be a one time, a one-time situation.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: And some people are not ready for the help, they're not ready to seek a therapist yet.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: So that's okay also.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_02: So, so let's talk about that.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: So somebody calls and they say, I'm having these thoughts, or I'm worried about someone in my life who's having these thoughts.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_02: That counselor can walk them through next steps, that counselor can walk them through getting a therapist.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: What else can that counselor do?
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, absolutely.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll walk them through safety planning, next steps.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, are you ready for resources?
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Most people don't want to even provide their name.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: So we don't even have any demographic information about the callers, but they want to remain anonymous.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's what's appealing about the light.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think especially for teenagers too, they don't have to give their information.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: And if they're not at risk, it's not necessary to have that information.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's something that I want to really highlight because people are worried about, you know, what if my job finds out?
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_02: What if my school finds out?
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_02: What if the college I'm applying to finds out?
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: This is totally anonymous.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, it's totally anonymous.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: If someone is in imminent danger, then then of course we we want to intervene and perhaps get them agreeable to a crisis mobile crisis team coming out, which is also another benefit of being linked to St.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: Vincent's is that we have our own mobile crisis team and we have a good relationship with the county and they have other mobile crisis teams.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: So in the event that that needs to take place, it is available.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_02: And that would happen 24 hours a day.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: That's so important to highlight.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: So if somebody calls and they are they are close to attempting or or whatever the case might be, you can you can dispatch a response to we could facilitate that.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and these calls are answered, as you mentioned, 24 hours a day.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_02: Talk to me about the people that are answering the calls.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: Who are they?
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: They work for Singh Vincent.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: So um they're trained crisis counselors.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's a minimum of a 40-hour training.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Some people, you know, might require a little more.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: We do a lot of hands-on um training with uh licensed clinicians.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: So it could be a licensed social worker, a licensed mental health counselor.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's important to note that a licensed clinician is always supervising the line as well.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: So there might be a varying level.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe somebody is a bachelor's level crisis counselor, but always supervised by a licensed um counselor.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: We all and we also have psychiatrists available as well if we if we need to consult on something we might not know about.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_02: So these are people who have an incredible amount of training and they're dealing with this all the time.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_02: How many calls are coming in?
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: So for for the past two years, uh, we have it was just over 17,000 calls for the past two years.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: And this year we're looking for 2026.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: It's probably going to be um above the 17,000 mark.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: Might sound like a lot when you say it out loud, but when you think about it.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: But when you think about then how many residents are in Westchester County, you don't estimate.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: That's true.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: Over a million.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_02: It's over a million.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, I know.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's over a million.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's almost it's it's not enough.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's enough.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that's why we want to keep talking about it, keep reducing the stigma, hoping that that more people will call to reach out to prevent yeah, to prevent suicide.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_03: Because if you talk about it before.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_03: The reducing the stigma.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_03: I always end my presentation saying I am hopeful that there is a change because I think back to the 80s, my aunt had breast cancer, and we literally whispered, oh, she has breast cancer.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_03: Because back then, early 80s, he didn't openly talk about breast cancer.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_03: It was private.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_03: Now, October's breast cancer awareness month.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_03: You know, boys have um pink shoelaces on the Ray Bull team.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_03: We have I love booby bracelets.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_03: I saved the dogs.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_03: And I say that's where we need to get out of society, taking away stigma talking about our mental health.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_03: If we could do it about breasts, we could do it about our mental health because everybody has it.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, so I'd love to hear some stories of the 988 call center that you that you can share with us.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: And one thing that I do want to highlight is we are over a million people here in the county and you have gotten almost 2,000 calls.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, do you see this as like 2,000 lives saved?
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: 20 20,000.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry, 20, excuse me.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_02: 20,000.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm sorry.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: So do you see this as 20,000 lives saved?
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_02: And that's incredible.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, absolutely.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: That's incredible.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: And there are some people who utilize the line on a somewhat regular basis.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: So they're what you know, they're familiar to us.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that's okay.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: We might not know their name, but they're familiar to us.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: And and they may start the conversation with, I just want you to know I'm not suicidal.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: Have we spoken before?
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know my story?
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: We have people who call us right before their therapy session because they can't wait, or right after their therapy session.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: So just too much.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_01: Because their therapy session was over and they weren't done talking.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um so can you share with us some of the stories that you might have from the 988 line of people of these lives saved?
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: Can share some stories.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: I'll try and leave out all the certain details.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we have unfortunately had um multiple people call, you know, in their car driving and you're you know, trying to get them to pull over safety.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: We uh safely, we've had them, you know, heading towards Kensico Dam, you know, like that was their plan.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and what we have learned uh is that Kensico Dam does have their own uh police station there, and that has been very helpful to us.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: So we have had phone numbers pinged of individuals on their way to that location more than once.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we had several different uh police units involved and and and then found them and safely, you know, escorted them to the hospital.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: Thank goodness.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that is you know something that's happened.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um recently we had two adolescents call together.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: I believe they were around the age of 13.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: Both with suicidal thoughts, one more passive and the other more active.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: And uh they were both together, and it seemed one was triggering the next, and they were willing to get their parent on the phone.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: And then we were able to talk to the parent, and the parent put both the kids in the car, brought brought one of the children home to their guardian, and then brought their child to the hospital.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: That was a um that was a unique story that happened recently.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I could share I mean I could go on and on, but I with the stories.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um there we had another caller who was in the bathroom of a movie theater, uh, believe in in Daniel.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: I don't remember the exact location, but in a bathroom and they did have a knife on them.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_01: So that was.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: A difficult situation to navigate to get them out safely and to get the police to get them safely.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um so you'll have to stop me because I can't no, no.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I'm just I'm I'm so um, you know, I see the 988 stickers around the county.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_02: A few um a few staffers here on the ninth floor actually have it in their email signature, always the 988.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it's such a great resource.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_02: But to hear these stories, I mean, it's one thing to see the number and to know that you can call and that is a resource, it's another thing to hear these stories.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm just so proud that the county has this and we are and we are saving these lives, which is really incredible.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, something else that came up was the Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_02: So, what exactly is that?
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: Can you explain that?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: So the Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition is a um a coalition of about 40 different agency, um, agencies in Westchester who are all um interested in um ending suicide for Westchester County.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_00: And uh they come from all different, we're we're quite a diverse group.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um we have faith-based leaders, we also have um not-for-profits, we have the county, we have some cities involved, and and schools um and law enforcement, and we uh work together to do this kind of stuff, promote 988.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: We work very hard in the spring towards May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: We've done for two years now, we've done a chalk the walk initiative where people do um sidewalk chalk or other different kinds of artwork and stuff, and we post them um on our website.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: And also, um, if you follow Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, we do it on Facebook and Instagram and X that we do our posting of our Chalk the Walk.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: So um that's been very successful.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: The last couple of years, we've had uh this year we had over a hundred um submissions, which was great, and we post those on our website.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we also work all year round to do all different kinds of things to get not only get the word out about 988, but also to train professionals and clinicians around um issues of suicide prevention, because we find that there are some gaps in their learning over the years of the different, you know, depending on how long you've been in a clinician, um, and also to learn anything that's new, any of the best practices.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: So we make sure that we're also training um not only professionals, but also lay people on how to do this type of talking to people.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: So there's all different kinds of trainings that are on our uh website also that are available free of charge, that people can learn how to do some of these things in their very everyday life.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: We try to target um people who are in human service, whether that's um uh a bartender or a person who works in a beauty salon or a nail salon, people who are talking to people all day and could can hear all of these kinds of things from people and they're stressed out too.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: They get stressed out from some of the stories that they hear from their cons their customers.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, how do you get to that next step and what kind of information um and what kind of resources are out there to help you have these conversations with people?
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: Because that, you know, that's our whole thing is how do you have natural supports in your life that are going to sort of safeguard you from these kinds of thoughts and and intentions?
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just curious, you why is this what you all work in this industry, you all work in this area.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: What um what inspired you to go into this field?
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think I've been in this field a very, very long time.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I think forever I was always the person that people came to for advice.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and even though I have never been a therapist, I've always been in administration one way or another.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that was sort of the path that I went, is that I sort of studied social work and psychology because I wanted to help people.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't quite sure how, um, but I felt like that was the thing I should be doing.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: So, and then, you know, through school, then it sort of became my path, was more of an administrative kind of path.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: But but yeah, but this being uh being a co-chair of the Suicide Prevention Coalition has been one of the most rewarding and and fun things.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I get to do more fun things and stuff.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of my other the other parts of my job is contracting and things like that, which is great, which is all fun and very, very important.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: But this this gets me out in the community a little more, I get it.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and do more fun things.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: So we're I'm very appreciative to be able to do that.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_03: And Westchester has the beautiful healing garden.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, it does.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_03: That's very true.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_03: I got involved when almost 20 years ago now.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_03: I actually lost my brothers to drug overdoses, but I mean, it's so close suicide and drug overdose.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_03: So I feel like I'm making a difference this way.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: You are Navideum.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just curious.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it it goes way back to when, you know, you're deciding, well, I graduated high school, what do I want to do?
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: And the only thing I knew that I wanted to do was help people.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: Eventually I ended up an outpatient, and then I moved to crisis.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: And once I went to the crisis work, I would never go back.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was just, you know, something rewarding and and and I hate to use the word exciting, but I think it's like where the rubber hits the road, right?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's the real it's that's that's humanity, like at its rawest.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think that's it's I mean, it's obviously it's with I thank you for the work that you all do and for your for sharing your personal experience.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_03: Usually when I get a phone call, it's somebody who has lost someone to suicide or their loved one has attempted.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_03: So the emotion in every phone call, it it makes you just want to do more because these are people have had horrible losses, horrid experiences, and they want to volunteer.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: They want to make a difference.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_03: They don't want other people to go through the pain that they have.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_03: So, how can I not want to do more when these people aren't getting paid to do it?
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so, um, you know, we've we've covered everything, which is amazing.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I really appreciate everything you've shared with us.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_02: And we're we're September is suicide prevention month.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: People listening to this podcast, what is one thing you want them to hear right before we go off the air?
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_02: What do you want them to hear?
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, one thing is that we are launching a 988 challenge that we would love for people to get involved in.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's very simple.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: All you have to do is uh talk about 988, hold up a 988 sign.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they can create their own sign.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: If they want help, we have on our website you can print out a PDF of a sign.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: Terrific.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: What's the website to everyone?
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_00: The website is Westchester County Suicide Prevention.org.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry, it's so long.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's okay.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: But the Westchester County Suicide Prevention is all one word dot org.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we will also be posting all month long events that are happening throughout September.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: So on September 8th, uh happens to be 988 day.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we will have the um, thanks to our friends at Nami Westchester, we will have the bridge, um, the Cuomo Tappensee Bridge lit up um in teal and purple and uh for suicide prevention awareness.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_00: And it's beautiful, and it's beautiful every year.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: We've done it for the last few years.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we have actually been recognized nationally by how beautiful that bridge is.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: It has been used in other people's uh slideshows and things.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: So um that's a huge thing.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: So we would love for people to promote 988.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: All you have to do is say 988, call 988.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: Help is just three digits away.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, post it on your social media and we will grab it if you hashtag it on 988Wester, 988 Challenge Westchester or 988 Challenge, because this is happening also nationally.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: So we can pull from those as well.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, we would love to hear from people.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_00: It would be really exciting to try to go viral.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_02: And if people want to get in touch with you or your office, where should they call?
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: They can uh there is a contact us on our website, um, but they can also call 914-995-5220.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that's our office, and they can ask for the Suicide Prevention Coalition, and someone will get back to them as soon as possible, or they will get me.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, terrific.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_02: And Maria, what would you like people to know?
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_03: Besides the 988, can't enforce that enough.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um I think we're going to have on the county websites AFSP programming as well, because all our programming is free.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_03: So on the AFSP.org backslash calendar, you can find any training.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_03: And I think we're gonna link them to Westchester.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_03: So from the county website, you can find free trainings on our page as well.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: And we're and you're sponsoring our display this year, too.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, I forgot that too.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_03: Sorry.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_03: For the um, because that's just an honor.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_03: For the healing garden, every year we um AFSP provides a pinwheel, and each pinwheel um represents a life lost to suicide.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_03: So it's really a visual to see how many people in our community are lost to suicide each year.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it's visually healing yet sad, but calm.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_03: It's a very beautiful, beautiful garden.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so we're honored to be a part of that.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: Perfect.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that's at uh Ridge Road Park.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_02: It was at Ridge Road Park.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_02: It is um a county facility.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_02: We opened it a couple of years ago now.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_02: It's been a little bit.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it is a it is a garden.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_02: For those of you who don't know, it is a garden for it is a garden to remember those county residents that we have lost to suicide.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_02: And we want family members to find peace there and friends to find peace there.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it is a way to remember.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it's a beautiful neighborhood site.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's a beautiful site.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_00: And it always seems to, whenever I'm there, there's a breeze.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know why, but wherever they where they positioned it, there's a breeze.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: So the pinwheels are always spinning, and it just it's a beautiful place to be.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a bench, you can hang out.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's so it's not just a rock or a tree, it's a whole garden that you can spin it.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's beautiful there.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_02: What would you like people to know?
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: We're just about to go off.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: Our podcast's almost over.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_01: I would I would want to leave with a message that it's okay not to be okay and you don't have to do this alone.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's a a great, a great message to take on we don't have to do this alone.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_02: There is help.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: So anyone who is um having thoughts or knows somebody's having thoughts or just needs some help and guidance, 988 to call it, text it from anywhere 24 hours a day.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for being with us.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.