Local advisory council: Suicide awareness walk a success

During the Hill County Behavioral Health Local Advisory Council meeting Monday, LAC Member Ron Kling said last week’s suicide awareness walk went very well, and he called it a great success.

“It was a good evening,” he said.

LAC Vice-Chair Amber Spring said while the event drew fewer people than it normally does over all, it had twice as many speakers which indicates to her that those there were far more engaged.

Kling and Spring both praised Dr. Deborah Essert of Rocky Boy Health Center for all the work she did on the event.

Spring said video of the event was taken with the permission of the participants.

LAC Chair Andi Daniel said she was hoping the speakers in said video might help the LAC with their mental health PSAs.

LAC members have been discussing the creation of PSAs featuring local people talking about their struggles with mental illness, encouraging people to seek help, and hopefully reducing the stigma around mental illness by normalizing it.

Daniel said she’s only had two people offer to participate in the project so far and she hopes the six who spoke at last weeks event may be willing to contribute as well.

During the meeting, National Alliance on Mental Illness Havre President Crystal Laufer said her organization is setting up its annual walk which will take place in person Sunday, starting at Pepin Park, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Laufer said two different walks are part of the event for people to choose from, one shorter, one longer but both will begin at the same place.

She said her organization is still taking donations and so far it has been a really good year for them.

“We’re doing awesome,” she said.

Spring said she will be running a Question. Persuade. Refer. training Friday from noon to 2 p.m. and another Sept. 28 from 3 to 5 p.m. both on Montana State University-Northern’s campus.