Community Works assists with Suicide Prevention | Letters

Dear Editor:

Amidst our County’s many wonderful features—the natural beauty, the way of life, lots of residents working to improve the community—are some grim facts about mental health.

The problem is not easily changed, but Community Works 4Page (CWorks 4Page) continues collaborating with others across the County to address it.

In April, CWorks 4Page teamed up with the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Page Alliance for Community Action (PACA), and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), to provide employees of the Sheriff’s Office, local law enforcement, and administrative staff additional suicide prevention and Page County trauma trainings. A grant from Valley Health enabled CWorks 4Page to organize the events. With additional support from the Performing Arts Luray, Concern Hotline, Luray Walmart, Northwestern Community Services Board, and the Frederick Winchester Health Department.

The training sessions aimed to reduce risk of suicide and increase awareness of suicide prevention and traumas specific to Page County for those working in the correctional fields while educating several populations: residents across the County, nonprofits and those working with incarcerated individuals at the jail, and the staff themselves.

Here are just a few facts that those in attendance learned:

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Virginia and the 11th leading cause of death in America.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15-34.
Suicide-related deaths are four times higher among males compared to females.
Similar to previous years, in 2024 firearms were the most common method of death by suicide, accounting for more than half of all suicide deaths, followed by suffocation, and poisoning.
Suicide rates tend to be higher in rural communities.

The pattern of high rates of depression and suicide, plus elevated deaths from drug overdose, is “especially pronounced” in Page County, according to Valley Health’s latest Community Needs Assessment.

Taylor Alger with PACA taught about various types of childhood and adult traumas with a focus on traumas that are unique to Page County. For example, how the creation of the Shenandoah National Park displaced families on the mountains. Forcing people from their homes and land. This caused a collective trauma for those living through the experience.

Ms. Alger explained, “When we take the time to understand the underlying causes, patterns, and dynamics that shape behaviors within our community, we become better equipped to address the root issues driving them. This understanding is important for all community members, and especially for our law enforcement professionals who encounter these patterns firsthand every day. By increasing awareness and understanding of these behavioral cycles, we strengthen our ability to respond with compassion, prevention, and effective support—ultimately working to break harmful cycles, promote healing, and reduce future trauma within our community.”

Here’s the good news. Suicide can be preventable and we are fortunate to have several organizations serving Page County to reduce suicide. May was Mental Health Awareness month and we encourage you to learn about two organizations serving Page County, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Concern Hotline.

AFSP is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health by engaging in the following core strategies:

Funding scientific research
Educating the public about mental health and suicide prevention
Advocating for public policies in mental health and suicide prevention
Supporting survivors of suicide loss and those affected by suicide

As listed on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s website at afsp.org, if you or someone you know are in crisis please call 988 or text TALK to 741741.

The mission of the Concern Hotline is to comfort, calm, and assist those in need by providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services through compassionate listening and empathetic support via trained volunteers on a 24-hour hotline.

If you need someone to listen to you, help in a crisis, or to be connected with services, the Concern Hotline is available 24/7 for Page County residents at 540-743-3733 or at concernhotline.org.

The April training sessions were not the first suicide prevention effort CWorks 4Page has organized. Coordinating with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, CWorks 4Page arranged a “safeTALK” training at the Luray VFW in September 2024, which helped roughly 18 attendees learn how to be aware of suicide warning signs and how to direct a person in distress and crisis to assistance. They are planning to organize an additional training available to the general public- if you’re interested in learning more please contact us to stay informed.

Community Works was started in 2023 by the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative and implemented by local democrats. Community Works 4Page has since blossomed into an effective and growing group of about 125 volunteers who tackle local nonpolitical needs with a public-spirited approach. Volunteers from across the political spectrum—Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and residents otherwise disengaged from politics—work shoulder-to-shoulder, partnering with a wide range of local civic, church, and other nonprofit organizations.

For more information, to volunteer, or to donate to our efforts, contact the CWorks 4Page Local Coordinator, Sara, at pagecommunityworks@gmail.com.

As the Community Works slogan says, “Community works best, together.”

Sara Finn ~ Shenandoah, Va.

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