Governor Mark Parkinson signed a proclamation making September 5th-11th "Kansas Suicide Prevention Week" Here is the actual proclamation:
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Governor’s Proclamation for Suicide Prevention Week of September 5-11, 2010:
WHEREAS, in the United States, one person dies by suicide every 15 minutes, with 34,598
deaths by suicide in our country during 2007;
WHEREAS, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of all deaths in the United States, and the third
leading cause of death for teens and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24;
WHEREAS, each person’s death by suicide intimately affects at least six other people, with over
200,000 newly bereaved each year;
WHEREAS, in 2007, Kansas had the 19 th highest rate of death by suicide of all 50 states;
WHEREAS, in 2008, suicide was the tenth leading cause of all deaths in the state of Kansas, and
was the second leading cause of death for Kansans between the ages of 15 and 24; and the third
leading cause of death for Kansans between the ages of 25 and 34,
WHEREAS, in 2008, 350 Kansans died by suicide, and several thousand friends and family
members were changed forever by losing those people;
WHEREAS, many of those people who died never received effective mental health services, for
many reasons including the stigma of using mental health treatment and the stigma associated
with losing a loved one to suicide;
WHEREAS, the Suicide Prevention Subcommittee of the Governor’s Mental Health Services
Planning Council, which is comprised of representatives of mental health organizations, state
agencies, educational institutions, and the community at large, who are dedicated to reducing the
frequency of suicide attempts and deaths, and the pain for those affected by suicide deaths,
through research projects, educational programs, intervention services, and bereavement services
urges that all Kansans:
1. Recognize suicide as a significant public health problem in Kansas and declare suicide
prevention a statewide priority;
2. Support the development of accessible mental health services, for all parts of our state,
implementing national best practices in reducing suicide risk for people of all ages and
backgrounds
3. Acknowledge that no single suicide prevention effort will be sufficient or appropriate for
all populations or communities; and
4. Encourage initiatives based on the goals contained in the Kansas Plan to Reduce Suicide
and the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention;
WHEREAS, far too many Kansans die by suicide each year, and most of these deaths are
preventable;
THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED that, I, Mark Parkinson, Governor of Kansas, do hereby
designate September 5th through 11th, 2010, as “Suicide Prevention Week” in the state of
Kansas and urge Kansans to learn how they can help because Suicide Prevention Is Everyone’s
Business.
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Also, National Survivors Day is November 20th
