The CDC reports that in 2020, 1.2 million American adults attempted suicide, and nearly 46,000 adults died by suicide. Suicide prevention awareness is an essential step toward lowering those numbers. For Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Compass Health Center is teaming up with The Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP IL) to promote two important suicide prevention events.  

Compass Health Center will serve as a Change-Maker sponsor for the Chicagoland Out of Darkness Walk at Montrose Harbor, taking place on Sept. 17, 2022. Compass staff, along with their family and friends, will take part in the walk to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. Compass invites all attending the walk to visit the Compass tent to learn more about Compass and our suicide prevention efforts.   

"The rate of suicide in young people ages 10-24 years increased 60% over the last several years. We are dealing with a mental health crisis, and it is imperative that we continue to keep suicide awareness in the forefront of conversations. In particular, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and non-binary youth are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide than heterosexual and cisgender youth," said Claudia Welke, MD, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder, Compass Health Center. "The more we have open and honest conversations at home, in school and in our communities about suicide awareness and mental health resources, the more likely we can intervene when our young people are struggling with suicidal thinking." 

Compass Health Center and AFSP IL will also hold a free 1.5 Credit CE webinar on Sept. 14, 2022, at 4 p.m. CT. The webinar is designed to help clinicians increase their ability to engage in age-specific assessment and collaborative safety planning with patients who are at risk for or experiencing suicidal thoughts and actions. Click here to learn more and register. 

"The Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is grateful for Compass Health's continuing support for our Chicagoland Out of the Darkness Walk, and proud to collaborate with them to present critical suicide prevention education. Partnerships such as these are a model for the way respected stakeholders in suicide prevention can combine expertise and resources to reach more people, and ultimately save lives," said Angela Cummings, Executive Director, Illinois Chapter American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 

Event Details: 

Out of the Darkness 2022 Chicagoland Walk — American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 
Date: 09/17/2022 
Event Begins: 9 a.m. CT 
Event Ends: 1 p.m. CT 
Location: Montrose Harbor — Chicago, IL 
Registration Link: https://afsp.chicagowalk.org/details  

Caring for those with Suicide Risk — What every clinician should know | FREE CE Webinar 
Date: 9/14/2022 
Time: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT 
Location: Zoom 
Registration Link: https://compasshealthcenter-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EBw4URoPQ6OUTI3-1pF4RQ