PHOTOS: ‘Break the Silence’ walk encourages suicide prevention by communication


PHOTOS: 'Break the Silence' walk encourages suicide prevention by communication

People walk along the path during the 2020 Breaking the Silence suicide prevention walk on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)

CASPER, Wyo. – Wyoming’s suicide rate is routinely among the highest per capita in the nation, according to the CDC.

That tragic reality is what the organizers of the annual “Break the Silence” suicide prevention walk are trying to counter.

The 17th annual walk, which is organized by the Natrona County Suicide Prevention Task Force, took place at Crossroads Park on Saturday morning. People were able to get information, talk to experts and walk along the foot path lined with statistics on suicide.

Article continues below…

Kevin Hazucha, CEO of Central Wyoming Counseling Center, says the walk gives people to get together and discuss the problem.

“People can talk about their shared experiences, and remove some of the stigma that comes with having to deal with these kind of health issues,” he said. “There are great participants here.”

With funding from the Wyoming Department of Health, the Central Wyoming Counseling Center launched Wyoming’s first statewide suicide hotline in August, which has since received nearly 140 calls, according to the hotline director Bernice Hazucha.

“We’ve already saved four lives,” said Bernice. “It’s amazing.”

“On the second day (since opening) we saved a life, and on the third night we saved two lives,” she said. “They feel like there’s no hope, and we do the best we can to make them feel hope and that they’re not alone and we’re here for them.”

Bernice and Kevin says the ongoing pandemic is a concern as well, making the walk more important than ever.

“It’s great to see the support the community has for what we’re trying to do here,” said Kevin.


The number for Wyoming’s Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).


Source link