“We are grateful to receive the financial support from the Suicide Prevention Center of New York to pilot this innovative model in Onondaga County,” McMahon said. “This funding will allow us to work in conjunction with many community partners to prevent the devastating loss felt with each suicide in our community.”
Officials will use the data to work with local partners to implement “targeted interventions that stop suicides from occurring,” the county executive added.
The suicide rate among Onondaga County residents is 10.3 per 100,000, which is higher than the statewide rate of 8.1 per 100,000 population.
“Suicides and self-harm injuries are a growing public health concern across New York State, with serious and lasting effects on the well-being of families and communities,” Dr. Indu Gupta, Onondaga County Health Commissioner, said in the release. “With this new funding, the Onondaga County Health Department will gather comprehensive surveillance data for each suicide death and lead a multi-sector suicide fatality review team.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com