Suicide Prevention And Awareness In Severna Park

We know many of our fellow community members are grieving right now. In the wake of tragedy, we are all trying to make sense of the problem of suicide that Severna Park has seen on too many occasions. Although none of us has a definite answer, we at the Voice want to unite the community in having a serious discussion about the issue and to provide the resources that families, groups or individuals need to ensure that this tragedy doesn’t happen again.

First and foremost, we urge anyone in need to contact the Anne Arundel County Crisis Response System on its community warmline, a service that provides residents with supportive assistance within the community. The warmline (410-768-5522) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and nonemergency calls are handled by staff and will provide the caller with information, support and referrals. The Crisis Response System staff will intervene with callers who are experiencing a mental health and/or substance-use disorder emergency.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools also has a student safety hotline at 1-877-676-9854 that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Those in disaster distress who need immediate crisis counseling can call:

• 1-800-985-5990 or text "TalkWithUs" to 66746
• 1-800-985-5990 or text "Hablanos" to 66746 (Spanish)
• TTY for Deaf/Hearing Impaired: 1-800-846-8517

The National Suicide Prevention hotlines are:

• 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
• 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Within Severna Park, several local organizations are empowering community members with the information they need to work through crisis. On Thursday, March 14, three organizations – Burgers & Bands for Suicide Prevention, Ellie’s Bus and Parenting for a Different World – came together to hold A Talk in the Park at the Severna Park Community Center. This was the third in a monthly series (the second Thursday of the month, 7:00-8:00pm, at Severna Park Community Center), and this month’s topic focused on resiliency and responsibility. If you missed this valuable talk, be sure to watch the video below.

A suicide prevention and awareness meeting for Severna Park High School students and parents will be held at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field on Sunday, March 17, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. The meeting is open to the public, and is geared toward students. Parents are welcome. Specialists will be on hand to facilitate the discussion.

There will also be a presentation, "You Are Not Alone: Raising Awareness of Adolescent Emotional Well-Being," on Tuesday, March 19, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Chesapeake High School in the auditorium. The presentation will be delivered by Jen Corbin, director of the Anne Arundel County Crisis Response System, and is sponsored by Chesapeake Student Services. Topics will include an overview of the Anne Arundel County Crisis Response System, signs and symptoms of common emotional issues facing adolescents, and links to available resources within the community. The presentation is open to all, and snacks and beverages will be available.

Keep an eye out for further information on suicide awareness and prevention both in our print edition and on our website and social media pages. We will have an all-encompassing story in our April 4 edition, so if you have an event or resource that would be relevant – or you just simply want to share your feelings with us – send an email to dylan@severnaparkvoice.com.