LIRR test pilots suicide prevention measures in RVC

It has been more than five years since Ryan Patrick O’Shea, a South Side High School graduate and former captain of the Cyclones basketball team, tragically took his own life. He died on Jan. 11, 2019, after being struck by a train at the Long Island Rail Road station in Rockville Centre, leaving his family and community devastated.

In response, his parents, John and Mary O’Shea, established the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation, dedicated to promoting suicide awareness and prevention. The foundation works to prevent similar tragedies through programs like Sources of Strength, which focuses on building resilience in youth.

After more than five years of working with elected officials and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the foundation held a press conference on Sept. 5, at the same station where Ryan died, to announce that the LIRR will launch a six-month suicide prevention pilot program.

Assemblyman Brian Curran highlighted the importance of timely intervention during the press event, noting that a renowned New York psychiatrist found that decisions to act on suicidal thoughts typically occur within a 10-minute window.

“Think about that,” Curran said. “There is a 10-minute window in which any small intervention can possibly prevent someone from taking their own life.”

Curran said that the pilot program includes the installation of new signs that can be seen when boarding the escalator or accessing the stairwells, and four-foot by four-foot adhesives placed around benches at either side of the platform, which read: “Your pain is real, but so is hope … We’re here. We care. We’ll listen,” encouraging anyone to call the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988.

He also explained that since people contemplating ending their life are typically looking down, the adhesives will be strategically situated around benches towards the end of the platform as a deterrent.

“These may be called small interventions, but they are anything but small,” Curran said during the press conference. “They are huge interventions if they cause an individual to just for a second or a minute or, God willing, 10 minutes or more, to rethink what they’re contemplating doing. They’re tremendous interventions if they result in a person taking two steps back from the edge of that train platform and not forward.”

John O’Shea said that as a family, they had never spoken in depth with Ryan about his mental health and emotional issues.

“Five years and almost eight months ago, I came to this station because my 18-year-old son Ryan died by suicide,” he said. “We are left with so many unanswered questions. We discovered that the stigma around talking about mental health issues was a major factor in suicides.”

Through its advocacy, the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation and the MTA previously installed blue lights at the station, known for their calming effect on distressed individuals.

“We have come to believe that if you work together, we can open the dialog and end the stigma attached to speaking about one's mental health struggles,” O’Shea said. “With education, understanding and love we can end the threats of suicide.”

Hempstead Town Councilwoman Laura Ryder, during the press conference, called on the MTA to expedite the program following a recent suicide that occurred only four days prior near the Merrick train station.

“While we have enjoyed a positive working relationship with the MTA on this program, I implore the MTA to quickly install the suicide prevention measures,” Ryder said. “These simple measures can save lives, and time is of the essence.”

She also invited the community to attend the Town of Hempstead’s annual suicide prevention and awareness event on Sept. 12, which the O'Shea Foundation started last year.

In addition to station improvements, the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation funds mental health education programs in schools, police departments and among first responders. Its mission is to ensure that no one feels alone in their mental health struggles.

“These signs will save lives by offering help to those who are struggling with mental health issues,” John O’Shea said. “We all go through tough times and understanding there is a place to turn to and someone to talk to is lifesaving.”

As the pilot program gets underway, the O'Shea family hopes it will soon expand to all 126 LIRR stations in the hopes that they could prevent future tragedies, such as the one that claimed Ryan’s life, and offers hope to those who feel like they have nowhere to turn.

“September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and what a great way to start this month with this message of hope,” O’Shea said. “I urge you all to talk to your loved ones about their mental health. Once you open that conversation, you are letting them know that you are open to having that conversation whenever they need to get your help. You should never assume that they can talk to you about their mental health struggles. Make sure they know they can.”