Mental Health
September is National Suicide Prevention Month and LiveWell49 has events planned to help bring awareness to this important topic in Park County.
September 8th was national 988 Day, a day of action held annually to raise awareness about the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. “Having 988 is a game-changer in suicide prevention,” says Laurie Bishop of LiveWell49.
She added, “We’re grateful to our friends at Studio49 for joining us to help spread the word through the fun, family-friendly rock painting event that was held on September 8th. Providing hope is part of the path forward to help save lives in our community, and we can all be part of that.”
On September 30th, LiveWell49 will also offer a QPR suicide prevention training from 12 pm to 1:30 pm at Livingston HealthCare in the conference rooms. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer. People trained in QPR learn to recognize signs of suicide crisis, offer support and refer someone to help. Attendance is free and people are welcome to bring their own lunch or purchase lunch at LHC’s Cafe Fresh.
According to CDC data through 2023, Montana currently has the second-highest suicide rate in the nation. The most recent county-level data has Park County tied for the fourth-highest rate in Montana with an age-adjusted suicide rate of 38.1 per 100,000 between 2013 and 2022.
“I think most people are aware of the impacts of suicide in our community. It feels important to remind people that depression is treatable and suicide is preventable,” said Laurie Bishop. “We can all play a role in eliminating the stigma around mental illness so that anyone in our community can ask for help.”
LiveWell49 is a local community coalition dedicated to embracing a culture of health in Park County through creative community solutions and collective impact. They work under the fiscal sponsorship of Livingston HealthCare. In addition to suicide prevention efforts, the coalition is working on activities to foster connection and belonging as an evidence-based strategy to support wellness and help keep people out of crisis.
Studio49 is part of Project49 and designed to offer a welcoming space where people of all ages can connect, learn, and create through mentorship, skill-building, and meaningful intergenerational relationships.
For more information about LiveWell49, suicide prevention and other community events, visit www.LiveWell49.org or contact info@livewell49.org. For more information on Studio49 visit www.p49.org/studio49, contact studio49@p49.org or stop by 129 S. Main St.
Let’s work together to provide hope!