About The Committee
As part of the 2020 State of the State, former Governor Cuomo directed the New York State Office of Mental Health to increase efforts to combat suicide within Veterans, Military, Law enforcement, Fire Fighters, EMS and Corrections Officers and “convene a panel of stakeholders and experts at its annual Suicide Prevention Conference to develop and implement strategies for preventing suicide among these special populations.” While the COVID pandemic led to the postponement of the 2020 suicide prevention conference, New York State remained committed to bringing leaders from these disciplines together and have met virtually throughout the Fall of 2020.
In the fall of 2020, the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center created a steering committee comprised of veterans, military, law enforcement, corrections officers, and first responders, to help prevent suicide in New York State.
The steering committee convened around the following activities:
- Sharing experiences/resources and identifying universal themes
- Developing a series of presentations designed to educate the wider community and inform the work of the committee membership
- Outlining identified barriers experienced by these populations and recommending strategies for improving overall wellness, engagement in treatment and services, and suicide prevention efforts
The steering committee is working to implement recommendations through the fall of 2021 and will continue meeting biannually.
For more information about the initiative contact: Garra Lloyd-Lester (Garra.lloyd-lester@omh.ny.gov)