Town of Hempstead and the Ryan Patrick O'Shea Foundation host forum for National Suicide Prevention Month

In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and Councilwoman Laura Ryder in partnership with the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation of Rockville Centre, invited community advocates, high school students, and law enforcement professionals for a forum on suicide prevention and awareness.

“A recent study found that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 24,” Clavin said in a newsletter. “The event was comprised of a series of speakers who helped guests expand their mental health awareness, learn how to support those in crisis, and discover new ways to prevent suicide. Together, we can put an end to self-destructive behaviors and create a brighter, more hopeful future. Let’s stand up, speak out and save lives!”

The Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation was created by John and Mary O’Shea following the loss of their beloved son, Ryan, a South Side High School graduate and former captain of the Cyclones basketball team, who took his own life in 2019.

John O’Shea, the former president of the Rockville Centre Board of Education and vice president of the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation, said that the one thing he hopes people took away from the conversation is that suicide is 100 percent preventable.

“We don’t need to wait for a cure,” O’Shea told the Herald. “Talk saves lives. Talk gives people the power to get past their pain and struggles. You’re not the only one that’s going through it.

During the event, high school students from Rockville Centre and Oceanside shared some of the life lessons they have learned as part of the Sources of Strength program, a national suicide prevention program based in social and emotional learning.

Sources of Strength takes a proactive approach to address mental health concerns by highlighting a network of resources. Twenty adult advisers and 50 peer leaders facilitate the program at a local level, with a focus on healing and support.

Currently in its fourth year in Rockville Centre, the Sources of Strength program, has spread to neighboring school districts including Oceanside, East Rockway and Freeport, and plans to expand to Lynbrook, Bethpage and the Sacred Heart Academy in the coming year.

Juvenile Detective Stefanie Balos of the Rockville Centre Police Department was also on hand to discuss the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Program, a two-to-five day evidence-based training program that teaches participants how to assist those at risk of suicide.

While many health care and law enforcement professionals participate in the program, it is designed to equip participants with the tools and resources to intervene when a civilian’s life is at risk.

Both the Sources of Strength and ASIST programs are funded locally by the O’Shea Foundation.

For more information about the foundation, visit RyanPatrickOsheaFoundation.org, and to find out more about mental health programs like Sources of Strength, ASIST or other training and consultation services available, visit PreventSuicideNY.org.