NewsCovering Colorado

Actions

El Paso County Suicide Prevention Task Force presents 5-year plan

Posted at 11:56 AM, Jan 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-21 09:49:21-05

COLORADO SPRINGS — The El Paso County Suicide Prevention Task Force announced its five-year-plan to decrease suicide rates across the county.

More than 600 people came together to learn about it at the first annual El Paso County Suicide Prevention Conference at the University of Colorado Springs.

The task force will focus on providing resources like connectedness and awareness.

Keynote speaker, and Fountain Police Chief Chris Heberer says he hopes this event will encourage everyone to do their part to help their peers.

"A little act of kindness can go a long way," he said. "It's something you can do very, very, very small in somebody's life that you don't even think has an impact. It can have a huge impact one way or the other. So [...] if we can all move forward a little bit on that and be more mindful, I think that would help."

Attendees and those who make up the task force represent different at-risk groups, like first responders and young adults.

But rather than focus on one group, the task force aims to help all of them as whole and create a community-based approach to suicide in El Paso County.

To learn more about the event, and the task force, click here.