Gov. Little signs executive order to support suicide prevention in Idaho
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order and proclamation Wednesday to further support suicide prevention in Idaho.
Little joined a meeting of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Action Collective at the Idaho State Museum to sign the executive order and proclamation.
The executive order will ratify the collective as an entity that answers to the Governor’s Office and further formalizes its membership. The proclamation declares September as Suicide Prevention Month in Idaho.
“Idaho’s suicide rate ranks higher than national rates and is 12th highest among states in 2021,” said Teresa Abbott, a health program manager with the Suicide Prevention Program at the Department of Health and Welfare. “This action by the governor is a concrete step toward our goal of reducing suicides in Idaho by 20% by 2025."
The Idaho Suicide Prevention Action Collective was created in 2018 to promote suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention services, as well as collaborate with the Department of Health and Welfare’s Suicide Prevention Program.
Volunteer membership on the collective is appointed by a steering committee and includes a diverse array of stakeholders including representatives from government, emergency services, education, corrections, tribes, medical providers, advocacy organizations, and more.
“Community groups and volunteers across Idaho are rallying this September through remembrance walks, trainings, and messages that encourage people who are struggling to reach out for help,” Abbott said. “Suicide is preventable, and treatment is effective. There is hope.”
