WHEREAS, National Suicide Prevention Week is an annual, weeklong campaign to raise awareness about suicide warning signs, to advocate for suicide prevention services, to reduce the stigma associated with suicide, and to support those who have attempted suicide; and
WHEREAS, Suicide is an extremely complex, but preventable, health issue that requires compassion, empathy, trust, understanding, and access to professional services; and
WHEREAS, According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44,965 Americans die by suicide each year, making it one of the ten leading causes of death in the nation overall; and
WHEREAS, Hospitalization in the face of someone seeking help is not the only course of treatment. Alternative methods to hospitalization must be explored in order to increase feelings of safety; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is taking active steps to combat suicide. The Philadelphia Suicide Prevention Task Force, spearheaded by the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, is harnessing innovative and person-centered approaches to achieve its goal of zero suicides in our City; and
WHEREAS, According to the Philadelphia Suicide Prevention Task Force, there are an average of three deaths by suicides each week in Philadelphia, accounting for 153 lives in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Although the City of Philadelphia has a lower mortality rate than the national rate of deaths by suicide, one suicide is one too many; and
WHEREAS, Suicide prevention is especially vital for youth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24. It is the second leading cause of death among Asian American girls between the ages of 15 and 24. The US Department of Health and Human Services reports that one out of every six high school students nationwide seriously considered suicide in the past year; and
WHEREAS, According to the Trevor Project, young people who identify as LGBTQ+ are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide as compared to their heterosexual counterparts; and
WHEREAS, Organizations across Philadelphia, such as Mental Health Partnerships, Active Minds, Minding Your Mind, William Way LGBT Community Center, Mazzoni Center, Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, and others have been pivotal in equipping City residents with transformative and potentially life-saving mental health supports and services; and
WHEREAS, The culture of acceptance of compassion that makes the Philadelphia the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection must fuel our efforts to prevent suicide and to support our friends and neighbors; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby declares September 9 through September 15, 2018, as Suicide Prevention Week in the City of Philadelphia, and affirms the need for suicide prevention awareness and robust mental health services.
End