Suicide is often considered to be the most preventable cause of death. Yet, recent years have seen steadily rising numbers of loss to suicide in the United States. This rise has occurred despite the cultural shift that has allowed the fact of suicide to come "out of the closet;" despite the cultural shift that recognizes that thoughts of suicide are not rare; despite the cultural shift that encourages individuals to talk about these thoughts; despite the cultural shift that encourages individuals to seek the support and assistance that is best for their individual needs and preferences; and despite the cultural shift that recognizes that hospitalization is not necessarily the most helpful intervention. The concept of "deaths of despair" - deaths ultimately due to suicide, drug overdose and alcoholism - but driven by social and economic forces that render life so challenging for so many - has become part of our lexicon. We understand so much about risk factors at the individual and societal level. Our clinical and peer support skills have improved. We are more skilled at identifying and intervening with emerging crises. So why do we continue to lose loved ones at an increasing rate, and most importantly, what can we do to reverse this painful reality?

To address this community problem, Westchester County recently launched a Suicide Fatality Review Team (SFRT). The SFRT is a public health approach that analyzes local data to identify risks specific to Westchester County in order to develop specific county-level prevention and intervention approaches. Westchester is one of four sites selected by the New York State Office of Mental Health to adapt this effective model which was developed in Washington County, Oregon. Read more here.