WHEREAS, suicide is a major preventable public health concern of local, state, and national responsibility; and

WHEREAS, according to the most recent data available from 2023, Virginia experienced 1,230 deaths by suicide, with individuals aged 80 to 84 having the highest suicide rates at 21.9 per 100,000; and suicide ranked nationally as the second leading cause of death in young people ages 10 to 34, and the fourth leading cause of death for those aged 35-44; and 

WHEREAS, public awareness of the warning signs, stress-coping strategies, safety planning, and support network availability, coupled with the promotion of open dialogue about mental health, can reduce stigma and lead to early intervention, effective treatment, and ultimately save lives as part of a multi-pronged approach to suicide prevention; and

WHEREAS, schools serve as key settings for suicide prevention strategies and education, intervention, and postvention for our young people, as described by the Virginia Board of Education adopted Suicide Prevention Guidelines for Virginia Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, the Suicide Prevention Interagency Advisory Group (SPIAG), jointly facilitated by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Families with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), coordinates efforts in the Commonwealth to strengthen the capacity across our communities to implement suicide prevention strategies across the lifespan; and

WHEREAS, Virginia DBHDS and DVS provide peer recovery support and family outreach services for former service members to support behavioral health, rehabilitation, and support service access before crises develop; and

WHEREAS, upstream behavioral health wellness programs diminish accumulating suicide risk, and the forty prevention services offices of the Commonwealth’s Community Services Boards provide trauma-informed, evidence-based prevention programs and strategies that promote mental health wellness and suicide prevention skills training; and

WHEREAS, Virginians have access to free, confidential emotional support and suicide crisis intervention twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year when they call 988 and are connected with highly trained crisis line workers; and

WHEREAS, Lock and Talk Virginia, in partnership with Virginia DBHDS, provides a statewide approach to suicide prevention that educates the community on warning signs and encourages securely storing firearms, medications, and other potentially dangerous items during a mental health crisis; and

WHEREAS, the Right Help, Right Now initiative to transform mental and behavioral health care for the Commonwealth is improving the continuum of care so that Virginians have someone to call, someone to respond, and some place to go before, during, and after a crisis; and

 WHEREAS, Right Help, Right Now has been an all-in approach, working across agencies and with localities for a total of $1.4 billion in new investments to ensure Virginians have access to care through services like 988, mobile crisis response, and crisis facilities; and

 WHEREAS, Suicide Prevention Week provides an opportunity for all of us to join a united effort to offer hope, promote healing, and prevent suicide;

 NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 7-13, 2025, as SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.