Sept. 4, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera Health.

National Suicide Prevention Month in September offers the opportunity for Avera and its leading behavioral health program to once again shine the spotlight on suicide prevention.

“This will be the third year we’ve launched our Ask the Question public awareness campaign. And, we’re presenting sponsor of this year’s The 437 Project to raise knowledge about suicide prevention across our state,” said Lindsey Meyers, vice president of communications, public relations and digital strategy at Avera.

From a record high of 203 suicides in 2021, deaths by suicide in South Dakota have fallen for two years in a row – to 192 in 2022 and 180 in 2023. This is related to many factors, with prevention efforts being one of them.

“Suicidality is an ongoing issue in our society. While we do hope to see continued decrease in suicides in South Dakota, it will take more time and awareness to have a deep and lasting impact,” Meyers said. “Through meaningful work of many great organizations and partners who work in this space, we are encouraged to see that these efforts are having an impact.”

The award-winning Ask the Question campaign is built around the research-based premise that being direct can save lives. Asking someone who is struggling the direct question “Are you thinking about suicide?” in a caring way can open a meaningful conversation that leads to the person at risk getting help. Generous donations to the Avera Foundation fully fund Avera’s award-winning Ask the Question campaign, which started in 2022.

“This year’s campaign is a prevention effort for all ages, but we’re specifically focusing on teens with messages to schools and social media channels,” said Thomas Otten, vice president of Avera Behavioral Health Services.

“Teens can be impulsive based on emotions. With the partnership of caring adults in their lives, including parents, teachers and mentors, we want to help them understand that life has meaning and purpose beyond the pain of the moment they’re experiencing. While all suicide is tragic, the loss of a young life is especially devastating.”

As part of this awareness month, Avera is presenting sponsor of The 437 Project, a relay-style running event that begins at South Dakota’s border with Wyoming and continues for 437 miles to the Minnesota state line.

Pictured are scenes from the The 437 Project run across South Dakota in 2023. Photos courtesy of the Helpline Center

The event, set for Sept. 19-22, is designed to raise awareness and support the Helpline Center, the only accredited suicide crisis center in  South Dakota. It serves thousands of people each year by organizing local agency volunteers and offering hope to individuals with thoughts of suicide.

Two of this year’s 12 runners in The 437 Project are Avera providers: Dr. Jonathan Buchanan, sports medicine specialist with Avera Orthopedics, and Jessica Rumpca, certified nurse practitioner with Avera Medical Group in Pierre.

Buchanan is known for biking to work every day and sometimes even to out-of-town physician outreach settings. Yet running is the activity he loves the most. He often runs barefoot and plans to run part of his 437 route without shoes.

Yet for this race, he’s not only in it for the fun. He also has had a close relative hospitalized in the past for a behavioral health condition, and his daughter was greatly impacted by the suicide of a friend. “Everybody working together has made a difference toward reduced suicides. But it needs to continue,” Buchanan said.

“It’s too easy to dodge the issue. That’s why asking the question in a direct way is so important. A behavioral health condition like depression, along with suicidal thoughts, is an illness. It’s not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. We want to raise awareness that anyone can have these important conversations that may save a life.”

Rumpca said that in her family medicine practice in Pierre, she sees people nearly every day who are struggling with depression. She also lost a close friend to suicide almost 10 years ago. “I hope people become more aware of the resources available like the Helpline Center and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline,” Rumpca said.

“There are people out there who struggle with these issues who have never brought it up, so no one has ever talked to them about it. They feel fear and shame, but they don’t have to go on feeling that way.”

Through the Zero Suicide initiative, Avera has suicide screening and assessment tools for use at primary care and emergency visits.

The Ask the Question campaign takes these preventive efforts a step further by giving everyone tools and resources to help prevent suicides.

“Ask the Question has been an important reset in our minds of how the sensitive topic can be brought up when someone exhibits warning signs,” Meyers said. “Avera now has developed a storehouse of patient education, talking points, messaging and creative materials that can be reused and updated in years to come as we continually strive to make a difference and save lives.”

At Avera.org/AskTheQuestion, you can learn how to have a meaningful conversation about suicide, refer someone to helpful resources and take other measures of prevention.