Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, presenting an opportunity to highlight and sustain focus on this preventable public health problem. Suicide continues to be a leading cause of premature death and we can all play a role to promote social connections and emotional well-being, raise awareness of the risk factors, be alert for warning signs, and decrease stigma surrounding mental health.

In observance of suicide prevention month, DPH has released a new data brief on Youth Suicide Prevention in LA County

suicide is preventable

Suicide continues to be a leading cause of preventable injury and premature death in Los Angeles County. The Injury and Violence Prevention Program urges the public to learn more about suicide risk factors, warning signs and resources to help someone who may be at risk.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), help is available

Click here for Suicide Brief document: The Public Health Impact of Suicide in
Los Angeles County - 2018

Click here for the 2017 Infographic on The Public Health Impact
of Suicide in Los Angeles County.

Additional Suicide Prevention Resources

1. Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health – Access Center Helpline (24/7 and Bilingual) 800-854-7771 http://dmh.lacounty.gov

2. LA County 211 (24/7 and Bilingual) 2-1-1 http://211.org

OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION BOARD MOTION

On March 13th, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors introduced a motion, that passed unanimously, directing the Department of Public Health and Chief Executive Office to develop a plan to outline the staffing and resources needed to create a new countywide Office of Violence Prevention within DPH. The board response also includes outlining a plan for rolling out a 6-month strategic planning process. Our framework is a comprehensive, public health approach to violence prevention that includes:

•  Violence prevention across the lifespan (i.e. child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, teen dating violence, sexual violence, suicide prevention, youth violence, gang violence, gun safety and policy, elder abuse, systemic violence)
•  Prevention and intervention, trauma informed approaches, community development/resilience, place-based approaches
•  Best and promising practices and strategies designed for specific populations
•  Violence prevention data, research and communications
•  Centralized coordination and connecting community organizations, county departments and partners to build capacity and align efforts
•  Advancing policy and systems change

In preparation for our response to the Board, we are currently meeting with violence prevention experts and community stakeholders about how we define violence prevention, how best to coordinate and support existing violence prevention efforts across the County, critical gaps that the Office may help address, how a countywide Office could best prioritize its efforts, and the potential role and responsibilities of the Office.

For more information, or if you are interested in an opportunity to share your thoughts/recommendations, please contact us at ivpp@ph.lacounty.gov or call (213) 738-6107.

MOCION DE LA JUNTA DE SUPERVISORES PARA LA CREACION DE LA OFICINA DE PREVENCIÓN DE LA VIOLENCIA

El 13 de marzo, la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Los Ángeles presentó una moción, que fue aprobada por unanimidad, dirigiendo al Departamento de Salud Pública (DPH) y a la Oficina del Director Ejecutivo a desarrollar un plan para delinear el personal y los recursos necesarios para crear una nueva Oficina de Prevención de la Violencia dentro del DPH. La moción de la Junta también incluye un plan para implementar un proceso de planificación estratégica de 6 meses. Nuestro marco es un enfoque integral de salud pública para la prevención de la violencia que incluye:

•  Prevención de la violencia a lo largo de la vida (es decir, maltrato infantil, violencia de pareja, violencia en el noviazgo adolescente, violencia sexual, prevención del suicidio, violencia juvenil, violencia de pandillas, seguridad y póliza de armas, abuso de ancianos, violencia sistémica)
•  Prevención e intervención, enfoques informados sobre el trauma, desarrollo / resiliencia comunitaria, y enfoques basados en local
•  Las mejores y prometedoras prácticas y estrategias diseñadas para poblaciones específicas
•  Datos de prevención de violencia, investigación y comunicaciones
•  Coordinación centralizada y conexión de organizaciones comunitarias, departamentos del condado y socios para desarrollar capacidades y alinear esfuerzos
•  Avanzado en la política y el cambio de sistemas

En preparación para nuestra respuesta a la Junta, nos estamos reuniendo con expertos en la prevención de la violencia y con grupos de interés de la comunidad sobre cómo definimos la prevención de la violencia, cómo coordinar y apoyar los esfuerzos de prevención de la violencia existentes en todo el Condado, brechas críticas que la Oficina puede ayudar a abordar, cómo una Oficina del condado podría priorizar mejor sus esfuerzos, y el rol y las responsabilidades potenciales de la Oficina.

Para obtener más información, o si está interesado en una oportunidad para compartir sus ideas / recomendaciones, contáctenos en ivpp@ph.lacounty.gov o llame al (213) 351-1902.

Click here to read award

	Parks After Dark—Evaluation Brief 2017 Click here to open PAD Evaluation Brief
	New Rapid Health Impact Assessment Report The report, Potential Costs and Health Benefits of Parks After Dark: A Rapid Health Impact Assessment, examines the potential impacts of Parks After Dark on safety, physical activity, and cross-sector collaboration. Continuation and expansion of Parks After Dark would have positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of residents who live in areas disproportionately impacted by violence, obesity, and economic hardship. Full Report   Executive Summary
	Parks After Dark Preventing Violence While Promoting Healthy, Active Living                          Want to learn more about how parks can have a pivotal role in addressing violence prevention while at the same time combating obesity? Parks After Dark Brief contains information about the innovative program found at many Los Angeles County Parks.
	Concussions: How sports-related injuries are impacting our youth in Los Angeles County (May 2014) The Concussion Report  provides information on Los Angeles County residents who were treated for a concussion either as a patient in the hospital or in an emergency department.