“Someone in this country dies by suicide every 12.9 minutes,” said Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health. “At the National Council, we are determined to make suicide prevention a national priority.”
In recognition of their efforts in the fields of suicide prevention and mental health care, the National Council has been named 2015 Partner of the Year by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
“It is with great pride that we thank the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for honoring our work with this award,” said Rosenberg. “Our partnership with AFSP has played a critical role in our effort to address the obvious need to better support people living with mental health problems in this country, many of whom are struggling with thoughts of suicide.”
Among other efforts, the National Council partnered with AFSP in January to roll out moreMental Health First Aid courses across the U.S., with the goal of training more people on how to identify someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis—like suicidal thinking—and connect them to care in their community.
“Mental Health First Aid can save lives, and AFSP’s network of volunteers will be able to share this program in communities across the country,” said Robert Gebbia, CEO of AFSP.
In addition to their work with AFSP, the National Council boasts an extensive portfolio of work in the field of suicide prevention, including supporting the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Zero Suicide initiative and working to increase access to mental health care through support for legislation like the Excellence in Mental Health Act.
The National Council accepted the Partner of the Year Award at AFSP’s Allies in Action reception in Washington, D.C. on June 23.
By National Council for Behavioral Health - Read Article