Florida Suicide Prevention Day Thursday, April 6, 2017

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Florida Chapters, Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition, Florida Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention, and Florida Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council invite the press and others interested in suicide prevention in Florida to the press conference at 11:00am in the 22nd Floor on April 6, The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL.
In 2015, there were 3,152 suicides and 1,185 homicides in Florida. Every year in Florida and in the U.S. there are twice as many suicides as homicides. Every loss is tragic, but the hardest to understand are youth – elementary, middle, high school and college aged students who attempt or die by suicide. Suicide is the 3^rd leading cause of death for children, teens, and young adults ages 5-24 in Florida. We are working to help pass an increase in budget for the 13 state university Counseling Centers. Most of the Counseling Centers at universities do not meet accreditation standards and yet they have more students calling in crisis and distress.
The number of suicides in Florida is unacceptable. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, ninety percent of people who die suicide have a mental illness. And yet, Florida is 50th in the country in mental health spending – last in the SEC and ACC Conferences. Florida is ahead of Idaho and Puerto Rico.
The press conference will feature:
John N. Bryant, Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental
Robert Hutchinson, Alachua County Commissioner
Leah Perreault | AWARE Coordinator, UF Counseling and Wellness Center
Sofia Castro, Director, Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention
For more information regarding the press conference, contact Judy Broward at [email protected] or call 352-213-6308.