Lamont McClure, Director of Human Services Susan Wandalowski and the Northampton County Suicide Prevention Task Force will present nine awards to people who live in and/or work in Northampton County and who’ve contributed to suicide prevention at a ceremony at the DHS Building at 2801 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem, PA on Thursday, September 24^th at 2:00PM. Awardees include those who have made suicide prevention their life’s work, are actively contributing to the cause, or have assisted in preventing loss by suicide.

Suicide affects all ages and was the 10^th leading cause of death in the United States in 2018. Over 2,000 Pennsylvanians die from death-by-suicide every year. Americans disproportionately impacted by suicide include Veterans, Physicians, Corrections Officers, members of the LGBTQ community, and workers in certain occupational groups like construction, the arts, and design, entertainment, sports and media fields. Suicide negatively impacts the health of others and the community.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Northampton County’s Suicide Prevention Task Force is working to develop and implement strategies to reduce the risk of suicide and stigma of mental illness through collaborative methods. Their goal is to reduce death by suicide by 20% by 2025.

Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide can call the local crisis line at 610-252-9060 or the National hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).