Annapolis, MD - The Anne Arundel County Department of Health announces the recipients of its Suicide Prevention mini-grant awards for fiscal year 2022. The awards total $20,000 for two community organizations that provide suicide prevention programs to Anne Arundel County residents.
The award recipients are:
- My Life Foundation – $10,000: Funds will be used to bring suicide awareness and prevention training to the Asian American community of Anne Arundel County, as well as support a bilingual (Korean and English) mental health and suicide prevention media campaign.
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – $10,000: Funds will be used to offer virtual and in-person suicide prevention programs and training to Anne Arundel County residents.
The awards are funded through a grant from the Maryland Department of Health – Behavioral Health Administration (MDH-BHA), Office of Suicide Prevention. According to the MDH-BHA, “The primary objective is to provide funding for the implementation of suicide prevention initiatives that aid in the reduction of the overall number of suicide attempts and related deaths that occur within individual jurisdictions.”
The Anne Arundel County Report Card of Community Health Indicators noted in 2017 that the number of deaths by suicide had reached its highest level ever. Encouragingly, 2019 was the second year in a row with a decrease in suicides in Anne Arundel County, however rates still remain high.
The awarding of these grant funds coincides with Suicide Prevention Awareness Month that occurs in September each year. Suicide Prevention Week is September 5 – 11 and World Suicide Prevention Day is Friday, September 10.
