Grant helps Greenville mental health agency expand suicide prevention work


Grant helps Greenville mental health agency expand suicide prevention work

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A $741,672 grant to the state Department of Mental Health will enable Mental Health America of Greenville County to take more calls on its suicide prevention hotline.

About 33,000 calls a year come into the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from South Carolinians, said Jennifer Piver, executive director of MHA-Greenville.

But because of budget limitations, the agency has only been able to answer about 19% of those calls with the rest going to agencies in other states, she said.

“Our organization has been answering … calls since 2017 without dedicated funding,” Piver said. “We’ve always had the skills, infrastructure and desire, but never enough staff.”

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Jennifer Piver, executive director of Mental Health America of Greenville County (Photo: CINDY HOSEA/Staff)

With the grant from Vibrant Emotional Health, which is the nonprofit administrator of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, MHA-Greenville hopes to expand that to 70% the first year, she said, adding nearly all funds will go to pay for staffing.

“This is a great service for the state of South Carolina to have more of our calls answered in state,” she said.

Federal health officials reported last year that the U.S. suicide rate had increased 25% between 1999-2016, when nearly 45,000 suicide deaths were recorded nationwide.

At the same time, South Carolina’s suicide rate soared 38%. 

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Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death nationwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mark W. Binkley, interim director of DMH, said that expanding capacity is an important part of its mission to end suicide in South Carolina.

“Our strong partnership with Mental Health America, particularly the Greenville chapter, is invaluable in this endeavor,” he said. “We realize in South Carolina that to combat this epidemic, we must work together.”

Need help? Call 1-800-273-8255.

Read or Share this story: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/10/18/grant-helps-greenville-sc-mental-health-agency-expand-suicide-prevention-work/4011314002/


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