Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline boosts community outreach effort

Even before the pandemic hit, Idaho already had the 5th highest suicide rate in the country, but thanks to new funds from the Community Impact Fund, the hotline is working to bring new resources to help bring those rates down.

IDAHO, WITH NEWS,TRAFFIC, ANDWEATHER ON THE6S."WELCOME TO GOODMORNING IDAHO.I'M MATT SIZEMORE.AND I'M KRISTENSKOVIRA.THE COVID-19PANDEMIC HAS MADEIT HARD ON THOSESTRUGGLING WITHTHEIR MENTALHEALTH.LEADERS AT THEIDAHO SUICIDEPREVENTIONHOTLINE SAYTHEY'RE GETTINGMORE THAN ATHOUSAND CALLSEACH MONTH.NOW, AS IDAHONEWS 6'S REBOUNDREPORTER NATASHAWILLIAMS SHOWS US,THEY'RE WORKINGTO BRING MORERESOURCES TO HELPIDAHOANS MANAGETHE PRESSURE.EVEN BEFORE THEPANDEMIC HIT...IDAHO ALREADY HADTHE 5TH HIGHESTSUICIDE RATE IN THENATION.BUT THE IDAHOSUICIDE PREVENTIONHOTLINE HAS BEENWORKING HARD TOBRING THOSE RATESDOWN."WE HAVE PEOPLECALLING FROMEVERY COUNTY INIDAHO."THE SUICIDEPREVENTIONHOTLINE SAYSTHEY'RE WORRIEDABOUT MENTALHEALTH ACROSS THESTATE."WE HAVECONCERNS ABOUTTHE LONG TERMIMPACT ON PEOPLE'SMENTAL HEALTHFROM THEPANDEMIC, BUT WEALSO WANT TOREMIND PEOPLETHAT EVEN PRE-PANDEMIC WE HAD ABIG CHALLENGEAHEAD WITHINCREASING THESUICIDE RATE."LAST APRIL... THEHOTLINE RECEIVEDAROUND 20THOUSAND DOLLARSFROM THECOMMUNITY IMPACTFUND TO HELP WITHTHEIR MISSION."EARLY ON IN THEPANDEMIC THECOMMUNITYFOUNDATIONPARTNERED WITHUNITED WAYSACROSS THE STATEAND THE IDAHONONPROFIT CENTERTO ESTABLISH THECOVID-19 RESPONSEAND RECOVERYFUND."MUCH OF THATMONEY HAS HELPEDSUPPLEMENT THEHOTLINE'SWORKFORCE...WHILE SOME FUNDSARE GOING TOWARDCOMMUNITYOUTREACH."A PERSON CAN CALLFROM ANYWHERE INIDAHO.

IT'SANONYMOUS.

WE'REHERE TO LISTEN ANDWE WANT EVERYONETO KNOW WE'RE ARESOURCE."THE HOTLINE HASBEGUN THEPROCESS OFVACCINATING THEIRSTAFF... WHILEMAKING SUREIDAHOANS KNOWTHEY'RE NOT ALONE."OFTENTIMES ITS ASIMPLE INTERACTIONOF JUST BEING ABLETO TALK TOSOMEONE, TO HAVESOMEONE WHO ISSTRUGGLING BEHEARD."IF YOU... ORSOMEONE YOUKNOW IS IN CRISIS...PLEASE DON'THESITATE TO REACHOUT TO THE SUICIDEPREVENTIONHOTLINE... THAT'STHE NUMBER THEREON YOUR SCREEN.YOU CAN ALSO DIAL2-1-1.THE HOTLINE ISALWAYS IN NEED OFVOLUNTEERS... ANDIF YOU'REINTERESTED, WE'LLHAVE A LINK FOR YOUON OUR WEBSITE.NATASHA WILLIAMS...IDAHO NEWS 6.