Oakley Hit With 6th Suicide of 2014, Community Outreach In the Works

On Sunday May 18, the City of Oakley had its 6th suicide of the year in 2014 and there are efforts underway to provide outreach to the community to help raise suicide awareness and the county services readily available.

The issue was brought to light by Oakley Councilwoman Diane Burgis who noticed that in the police department reports she saw two or three and asked for further statistics. She explained that in a 5-year-period there was a total of 9 suicides.

In 2014, there have already been 6 for a town of roughly 36,000.

Burgis explained that they held a strategic meeting of local leaders which included the School District and County Health Services, Oakley Police and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department. The next step is meeting with our faith community along with other steps.

“The problem is there is no indication of something we are not doing right. They are all different situations and the common theme is mental health, financial difficulties, relationships, its not being able to cope with stuff and just needing support,” said Burgis. “Even with support, there is the possibility we wouldn’t have stopped it.”

The first step is promoting 2-1-1 and working with County Health Department to find different ways to provide support to mental health stuff and work with suicide prevention staff and training people to recognize symptoms and train people how to respond explained Burgis.

Burgis hopes to share more information by the next council meeting and next steps.

In Antioch which is a city of 106,000 people,  they have had 2-sucides according to Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando.  The chief says that people should not be hesitant to call if they think someone needs help.

“If someone is dealing with a friend or family member that they are giving signs that they may harm themselves or someone else, they need to call us,” said Cantando. “We can provide the person in distress with tools to help them through a difficult situation from evaluating their condition or put them in contact with a mental health professional.”

Cantando added that often times people who are suicidal do not realize all the services available to them to help them get through a difficult situation and that police are here to help people.

Supervisor Mary Piepho has been working with Councilwoman Diane Burgis at the County level to ensure information is dispersed to residents. Just last week, she reached out to the local churches in Antioch, Brentwood and Oakley making them aware of the county services and that May was Mental Health Awareness Month.

According to the document, it was mailed to a total of 64 churches.

Dear Faith Leader:

As a leader in the faith community, I want you to be aware that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I am hoping you will work this topic into a sermon and let your congregation know about the importance of the well-being between mind, body, and spirit and inform others of the services provided by the Contra Costa Crisis Center.

The Contra Costa Crisis Center offers both a crisis hotline and information that can be accessed at www.211.org . Our countywide, online resource database is the backbone of 211. Phone specialists use the database to refer callers to services, and county caseworkers, nonprofit staff, school counselors, clergy, law enforcement personnel, and private therapists. These services are free of charge.

I personally wish to thank you for all you do to serve those in our community. It is an honor to represent you on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors

Mary Nejedly Piepho
County Supervisor, District III

Troubled by a suicide of a young boy over being bulled in school, Assemblyman Jim Frazier began an outreach campaign to help prevent bullying in schools by sponsoring the #ICANHELP campaign and working with Kim Karr in getting the message of an anti-bullying campaign into local schools in East Contra Costa County and hopefully nationally.

Here is some additional information about the County Programs.

Contra Costa County Crisis Center:

The mission of the Contra Costa Crisis Center is to keep people alive and safe, help them through crises, and connect them with culturally relevant resources in the community.

The Contra Costa Crisis Center is governed by a 15-member board of trustees. A staff of 20 is assisted by nearly 200 active volunteers. Our budget is $1.8 million (80 percent for direct services, 7 percent for administration, and 13 percent for fundraising). Fifty-Six percent of our funding comes from individuals, businesses, foundations, civic groups, and proceeds from Leftovers Thrift Shop, an agency auxiliary; 44 percent comes from government. We are purchasing our 7,000 square-foot facility in Walnut Creek.

Website: http://www.crisis-center.org/

24-Hour Numbers

• Information & Referral: 211
• Crisis and Suicide: 800-833-2900
• Grief: 800-837-1818
• Homeless: 800-808-6444

East County Resource Guide
http://www.crisis-center.org/wp-content/uploads/East_Resource_Guide.pdf

Warning Signs

There’s no typical suicide victim. Suicide transcends all ages beginning with adolescence, all ethnicities and cultures, all socio-economic groups, and all religions, as well as gender, sexual orientation, and ablebodiness.

There are common warning signs, however:

• Talking about suicide or making statements revealing a desire to die.
• Drastic changes in behavior (withdrawal, apathy, moodiness).
• Losing interest in hobbies and in personal appearance.
• Depression (crying, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, hopelessness)
• Worsening academic or job performance and sudden failure to complete assignments.
• Lack of interest in activities and surroundings (dropping out of sports and clubs).
• Settling affairs (giving away prized possessions such as books or a CD collection).
• Increased moodiness, irritability, or aggressiveness.
• Remarks suggesting profound unhappiness, despair, or feelings of worthlessness.
• Death and suicidal themes in written work.
• Self-destructive behavior (taking unnecessary risks or increased drug or alcohol use).

Note: File Photo used from a suicide scene in March 2014.