Many, many thanks to these January prevention partners and champions:
Thank you to Bill Lehr and Mardy Sleight for teaching QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer suicide prevention training to Big Piney High School Health Classes.
Thank you Cassie Crumpton, Master QPR trainer, for joining me to train Big Piney High School and Middle School faculty in QPR safety planning for suicide prevention. Thank you to BPHS Principal Jeff Makelky and BPMS Principal Tyler Walker for promoting and supporting this training.
Big thanks to Kayla Stevens from the Sheridan Veterans Administration who traveled all the way to Pinedale from Sheridan to present “Current Best Practices for Communicating on Suicide.” to the Suicide Prevention Task Force. To learn more about how our words matter and how we can decrease stigma when we talk about mental health and suicide please see Kayla’s excellent powerpoint on our website. https://www.sublettepreventioncoalition.org/post/how-we-communicate-about-suicide
Thank you to Pinedale business owner Meghan Isaacson for presenting “A Day in the Life of Poverty in Pinedale” to the coalition on January 12. Thank you to members of Bridges of Sublette County for attending. Thank you and shout out to these civic leaders for attending: Sublette County Commissioner Tom Noble; Pinedale Mayor Matt Murdock; and County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich. Thank you everyone for a very interesting discussion on affordable housing.
Thank you to Janna Lee for presenting on the availability of free Narcan to the coalition.
Big thanks to Sgt. Travis Bingham for presenting 2022 alcohol and drug arrest data to the ATODS team.
And last but certainly not least: THANK YOU to local musician and songwriter Jared Rogerson for calling attention to how negative stigma related to mental health and addiction keeps people from getting the help they need. Jared’s powerful and poignant new song “Side of the Road”, released last month, tells a poignant and powerful story of how addiction can happen to anyone, so hey, let’s be compassionate and kind when we talk about addiction. Let’s use our words to get people to help. Jared kindly premiered Side of the Road at Sublette Suicide Prevention Awareness month events last September. Here’s a link to the song and an awesome interview Jared did with Grady Kirkpatrick from Wyoming Public Radio:
Here’s what’s going on in February in prevention:
Meetings:
SUICIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE - Agenda HERE
2/6/23 - Public Health Conference Room 380 Faler Ave.
12- 1 PM, LUNCH INCLUDED
Contact Trisha for the Zoom link
SUBLETTE PREVENTION COALITION - Agenda HERE
2/9/23 - Public Health Conference Room
12 - 1 PM, LUNCH INCLUDED, Please RSVP!
Contact Trisha for the Zoom link
ATODS - Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drugs - TASK FORCE
2/27/23 - Public Health Conference Room 380 Faler Ave.
12 - 1 PM LUNCH INCLUDED - Please RSVP!
Contact Trisha for the Zoom link
February Events - Coalition members invited to attend!
2/14 and 2/23: Big Piney Middle School: Info table at BPMS basketball games to share vape and other prevention resources
2/15: Jason Vickerey from the Jae Foundation speaks at BOCES PHS career day event. We will be attending to promote community QPR training and other prevention info.
Have a safe, healthy, and warm February!
Trisha