WHEREAS, suicide is the only leading cause of death in the United States that has increased every year for the past decade; and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that over 3,700 hospitalizations in Washington were linked to intentional self-harm, including suicide attempts; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, 1,292 people in Washington died by suicide, making suicide the 8th leading cause of death for Washington residents; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, 226 veterans and military personnel died by suicide in Washington State; and
WHEREAS, suicide most often occurs when stressors exceed the current coping abilities of someone liv ing with a mental health condition; and
WHEREAS, many people who died by suicide did not receive effective behavioral health services due to the difficulties associated with accessing services by hea lthcare providers trained in best practices to reduce suic ide risk, prejud ices and discrimination surrounding the use of behavioral health treatment, and the stigma of losing a loved one to suicide; and
WHEREAS, while there is no single cause of suicide and no single suicide prevention program or effort will be appropriate for all populations or communities, initiatives based on the goals detailed in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and the Washington State Suicide Prevention Plan to increase access to quality mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention services will help prevent suicide;
NOW, THEREFORE, l, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, do hereby proclaim
September 2019 as
Suicide Prevention Month
and September 10, 2019, as
Suicide Prevention Day
in Washington, and I encourage all people in our state to join me in this important observance.