The Support Cafe Executive Director Pat Brown speaks at an informational and callout meeting for a suicide prevention task force in Fulton County on Wednesday, March 5, at the cafe in Rochester.

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — A group meant to start “a broader conversation” regarding suicide prevention got its start on Wednesday, March 5, in Rochester.

The Support Cafe, which works to help people facing addiction and other mental health needs, had a callout and informational meeting for a suicide prevention task force then. Those at the meeting included representatives with 4C Health, Woodlawn Hospital and the Fulton County Health Department.

Among them was Helen Burden. Her father killed himself last year, and due to his not having homeowners insurance, Burden had to clean up the scene.

Her searching for help after the fact and getting into contact with The Support Cafe Executive Director Pat Brown helped spearhead the task force, said Brown.

He started off the meeting by listing three objectives of the group: prevention, support and community standard.

“The first is how in the community we are going to come together to do better to address prevention, find people when they’re in crisis but before it gets to the end of the crisis,” said Brown. “Support (is) for those people who have survived suicide attempts, because a lot of times they carry lifelong scars with them, and also support for the people who’ve lost loved ones.”

Brown added that community standard refers to helping others do such things as clean up after their friends or family kill themselves.

People listen at the meeting at The Support Cafe.

He said toward the beginning of the meeting he hoped the task force could get “workaday people, people who have no connection with any type of medical or intervention or trauma (programs) to get trained.”

“They don’t have to do a full QPR training, but they could,” he said. QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer and is meant to dissuade those considering suicide.

Brown noted “Issue No. 1” for the group was determining adequate resources.

Several of the 4C Health representatives highlighted their resources, including offering free QPR training and their mobile crisis team.

Regarding the latter, people may call (800) 552-3106 any time of the day at no charge with volunteers responding to the scene in the seven counties 4C serves: Cass, Fulton, Miami, Pulaski, Howard, Tipton and White.

Fulton County Public Health Nurse Denise Ostafin noted the health department has received special funding through Health First Indiana, which could be used to pay for someone to clean up the scene after someone has died by suicide.

In its second year, Health First Indiana was created by the state to improve the physical and mental well-being of Hoosiers. Counties agreed to opt into the program. They have to follow certain rules, but can shift their allotted funding to their specific community needs.

The Support Cafe Licensed Therapist August Cox noted she provides counseling at no charge for anyone in the community due to grant funding.

Those who are interested in getting involved with the task force should call the cafe at (574) 223-2233.