GUAM Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo yesterday announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Guam Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse $1.44 million for the Focus on Life-Guam Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention project.
The grant will help fund projects and activities to prevent suicide, such as the crisis hotline, support groups, and suicide prevention trainings. The program also gathers research and data to monitor the suicide rate on Guam.
“The high rate of suicides on Guam is a tragedy, especially among our youth,” Bordallo said. “The funds received today will help increase outreach and prevention efforts through effective, evidence-based approaches to reduce risks overall.”
According to a Profile of Suicide Rates on Guam, released by the Focus on Life program in September 2011, there was an average 26.4 suicides per year from 2000 to 2010, which amounts to approximately one suicide death every two weeks. The annual suicide death rate ranged from 9.6 to 19.4 per 100,000 people.
From January 2012 to June 2012 alone, there has been 10 suicide deaths total, as reported by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.
DMHSA gets $1.44 million
- Friday, 03 Aug 2012 03:30am
- BY JOY WHITE | VARIETY NEWS STAFF
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