NASW Illinois Chapter Joins Historic Suicide Prevention Effort

By Patricia Reedy, LCSW

Reprinted with permission from:
Social Work Networker, February 2003, p. 15
National Association of Social Workers
Illinois Chapter
180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60601-7401

NASW-IL has joined a diverse and growing coalition of organizations and concerned individuals with the goal of bringing to Illinois a long-awaited statewide, integrated suicide prevention plan. "This is one of the most important contributions our chapter will ever make to the health and well-being of Illinois citizens," state Executive Director Joel L. Rubin. "Suicide is an epidemic -- not just in Illinois, but worldwide. Many suicides are preventable. It's high time we in Illinois joined the growing list of states that have suicide prevention plans."

Rubin is right. As former Surgeon General Satcher stated, "Suicide exacts an enormous toll from the American people. Our Nation loses 30,000 lives to this tragedy each year; another 650,000 receive emergency care after attempting to take their own lives. The devastating trauma, loss, and suffering is multiplied in the lives of family members and friends." Satcher was a strong proponent of suicide prevention during his tenure. Underscoring the problem further, he pointed out that far more Americans die by suicide than by homicide.

In an eloquent statement of the problem, Valerie Williams, LCSW, in 1999 wrote this: "...far too many human beings are feeling disconnected and fragile, withdrawing from the 'roar of the crowd,' succumbing to the pressures of an inner turmoil that wants the pain of alienation, isolation, not belonging, not fitting in, being different to stop."

Stephanie Weber, Director of Suicide Prevention Services, is excited about the prospect of being able to put systems in place to prevent these tragedies. She state simply, "We know how to do this. We're ready." Weber, a long-time activist in suicide prevention, was NASW-IL's Fox Valley Public Citizen of the Year in 1999. She, along with Sherry Bryant, LCSW, ACSW (Three Rivers District), are both survivors of loved ones who completed suicides. Both have helped spearhead a grassroots movement in Illinois for many years that has culminated in the current effort. The Suicide Prevention Committee is being supported and organized by the Division of Injury and Violence Prevention of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Said Bryant: "I am thrilled to be working with such a dedicated group." The group, which is still accepting organizational and individual members, is the Suicide Prevention Committee of the Illinois Injury Prevention Coalition. (The list below are members as of December, 2002) She, too, is enthusiastic about the possibilities. "This is an enormous public health problem. We have to treat it as such. There is a great deal of evidence that these deaths are preventable, and we know what works."

The coalition had its first meeting on December 13, 2002. Several workgroups were formed, in order to assure specialized attention to the final plan to specific areas of concern. Some of these areas of concern include: uninsured/underinsured persons, access to mental health treatment in rural sections of Illinois, people who have survived the suicide of a loved one, stigma reduction, media coverage, clinician education, persons with mental illnesses, addictions, HIV and other serious illnesses, family violence, gay, lesbian and other gender-related issues, senior citizens, youth and children, access to means, law enforcement, persons who are incarcerated, and first responders.

There are multiple ways of contributing to this effort -- from providing input on specific areas of concern, to providing public feedback on the final plan, to assisting with implementation. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please contact Sherry Bryant of Suicide Prevention Services at 630-305-9098 or by e-mail at sherrybryant44@comcast.net.

At present, the Suicide Prevention Committee consists of the following organizations:

• Office of Violence Prevention, IL Department of Public Health
• Lifesavers Training, Carbondale
• Jackson County Health Department
• Suicide Prevention Services
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
• Family Violence Coordinating Council
• Voices for Children
• Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence
• Illinois State Board of Education, the Office of Mental Health
• Illinois Department Human Services
• Kane County Health Department
• Illinois Violence Prevention Authority
• HELP Network
• Office of Violence Prevention, Cook County Department of Public Health
• Will County Health Department
• Mental Health Association

Individual members include: Sr. Mary Francis Seely, PhD, Lewis University, Tony Graff, former Police Chief and current City Administrator, Yorkville, David Clark, PhD, Rush Medical School, George Rogers, Retired, Region V Administrator, US Department of Health and Human Services, Javier Sierra, MA, the Partnership for Behavioral Health, Dee Tallon, Central DuPage Hospital, Annie Wallace, IL Department of Human Services, and Jan Wiebe, Violence Prevention Specialist.