Multiple projects in the works in Forsyth County to track and address symptoms of suicide

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Public health officials in Forsyth County wore purple on Tuesday to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day but work year-round to address the issue. 

In 2022, Forsyth County established a Behavioral Health Services Division dedicated to increasing access to mental health resources in the area.   

Behavioral Health Services Supervisor Amber Humble said her division is working on multiple projects. 

"Right now we’re in the process of putting together a suicide stigma index, but it's actually male suicide and mental health," Humble said. "I’m working with Salem College so we’re hoping that’s going to come out soon, where we’re just trying to get the communities perspective of how they feel about mental health and suicide in our county."

Humble added that the county is developing an interactive tool to track suicides similar to the Unseen Patterns map it released earlier this year to track overdoses. 

In order to establish a facility-based mental health crisis center, Humble said her division is working with Daymark Recovery Services to renovate a building near the Highland Avenue behavioral health urgent care. 

Forsyth County residents experiencing a mental health crisis can dial 988 to reach the national suicide and crisis lifeline. 

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, about 8,000 people in the state use the lifeline every month. 

Santiago Ochoa covers healthcare for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. Follow him on X: @santi8a98