The Suicide Prevention Alliance of Chautauqua County has been awarded funding to address disproportionately higher suicide rates in Chautauqua County.
Chautauqua is one of five rural counties receiving funding from the State Office of Mental Hygiene’s Suicide Prevention Center of New York State to establish sustainable clinical, school- and community-based supports to strengthen suicide prevention efforts. Madison, Putnam, Tioga, and Cayuga counties are the other counties receiving this funding.
Each county will receive $36,000 to perform a needs assessment, engage with community partners, and attend the New York State Suicide Prevention Conference to receive technical assistance from subject matter experts and finalize their action plans. Recipients will then get $48,000 annually over two years to help implement their plans.
Suicide Prevention Alliance of Chautauqua County coordinator Carri Raynor said, “This funding will allow Chautauqua County to move from planning to action by strengthening and expanding suicide prevention initiatives that are already making a difference in our community. From Lock & Talk CHQ and school-based prevention efforts to the Sudden Loss Care Team and stronger healthcare partnerships, this investment will help build a more connected and comprehensive system of support that reaches individuals and families before a crisis occurs.”
According to U.S. Census statistics, New York State has roughly 43,000 square miles of rural land area with about 3.4 million New Yorkers, or more than 17 percent of the state’s population, living in areas considered rural. Between 2021 and 2023, New York counties with fewer than 200,000 residents had suicide rates that were 90 percent higher than their urban counterparts.
In addition to suicide prevention efforts, OMH has been developing and funding programs focused on improving mental health in rural communities, addressing health inequities and improving access to critical care. This includes expanding Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and Crisis Stabilization Centers, bringing the successful Safe Options Support program to rural areas to address homelessness, and building out Assertive Community Treatment and Critical Time Intervention teams to address gaps in care.
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