A new report explores the issue of suicide awareness and prevention in Porter County. The county commissioners recently hired the Pyrce Healthcare Group to conduct a community assessment.
Jan Pyrce said the assessment found the county has a number of very good programs in place, but they don't always work together. "The positive is it's grassroots," she told the county commissioners Tuesday, "but how do we build this into a stronger system that has some structure so that the right hand knows what the left hand's doing?"
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that Porter County's suicide rate is trending higher than the state or national levels, with a noticeable spike in 2017.
Pyrce said the stigma surrounding mental health continues to be a barrier for those needing help. "We have to be out there in the churches. We have to be out there in the community groups. We have to make it speakable," she added.
Those who do seek treatment often face long wait times before they can get an appointment.
Going forward, Pyrce recommends putting together an integrated suicide awareness and prevention program to help address these issues.
Commissioner Jim Biggs felt Porter County is on the right path, and he promised to keep moving forward. "It's probably, unfortunately, going to take some resources on the county's part to help get that kicked off and to make sure a 40-page report like this doesn't go to waste," Biggs said.
