The Wall of Hope, a mural centered around the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, in downtown Franklin. The Suicide Coalition of Johnson County has organized the inaugural Walk Suicide Out of Our County to raise awareness and start conversations about suicide. The event will be Oct. 19.
DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Suicide remains a tragic problem in Indiana.
In 2022, more than 1,100 people died by suicide throughout the state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in Indiana and second leading cause of death for Hoosiers between the ages of 10 and 34 years.
Yet the issue is still surrounded by stigma, which hampers efforts to address it.
The inaugural Walk Suicide Out of Our County is a chance to take several thousands steps towards ending that stigma.
Walk Suicide Out of Our County was created to give the Johnson County community a safe place to come together to openly talk about ways everyone can work to prevent it.
People are invited to come to the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater at Youngs Creek Park in Franklin at 11 a.m. Oct. 19 to do the self-paced walk. The event, organized by Upstream Prevention and its Suicide Prevention Coalition of Johnson County, will also feature resources and information for people to take home.
“It’s really trying to break some of the stigma and bust some of the myths surrounding suicide,” said Kathleen Ratcliff, executive director of Upstream Prevention. “We know that individuals don’t always like to talk about mental health in general, much less suicide. Because we don’t talk about it, there are a lot of myths and misinformation that floats around and gets perpetuated.”
A suicide-awareness walk has been something local organizers have been hoping to plan for years. The idea started with the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Johnson County, a community organization aiming at preventing suicide by mobilizing the community through education and use of resources to increase awareness and decrease stigma.
Formed in 2019, local mental health officials were concerned about the damage suicide was doing throughout Johnson County.
According to an Indiana Department of Health report released in December, Johnson County had 23 people die by suicide in 2022, with a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 population.
Organizers wanted something to bring attention to those numbers and take away some of the stigma.
“Our goal was to de-stigmatize suicide a little bit by having this fun event where we’re talking about suicide and talking about this thing no one wants to,” Ratcliff said.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention already organizes the Out of the Darkness Walk throughout the U.S., including in Indianapolis. Not wanting to overlap on its efforts, local organizers delayed any plans for a local walk. But more and more community members inquired about doing a walk, and earlier this year, the coalition decided to pursue one.
“It’s not meant to be a fundraising walk, but it’s more to raise awareness and increase conversations around mental health and suicide prevention,” Ratcliff said.
In May, Upstream Prevention received a $6,000 grant from the Johnson County Community Foundation’s mental health grant initiative. The money for the grant fund is from a sustainable, long-term program to fund mental health services, support and counseling for local residents that was created in 2022.
A portion of the grant is being used to put on the walk, with the rest being used to create “self-care boxes.” The boxes are designed for individuals who are struggling with suicide ideation or a mental health crisis.
“They’ll have some fun things in them, like a deck of playing cards and a journal, and some resources in terms of 988 (Suicide and Crisis Line) and local resources, calm strips, that sort of things,” Ratcliff said. “We’re really excited to hopefully launch those at the walk.”
Walk Suicide Out of Our County start with a welcome and conversation before participants follow a mile-long route through Youngs Creek Park. Along the way, yard signs with educational information will help advance awareness about suicide and suicide prevention.
Local partners and mental health organizations will have booths to pass out additional information about services and resources in the community directly related to suicide prevention, as well as to help those who have lost someone to suicide.
“We’ve asked them to make their booths fun and somewhat entertaining, not just the same brochures you might pick up places,” Ratcliff said.
Organizers have also planned a “duck pool,” where participants can fish a toy duck out of a baby pool, answer a question and get a prize.
Registration for the walk is free, and can be done the day of the event. T-shirts and other items are available for preorder through Upstream Prevention.
IF YOU GO
Walk Suicide Out of Our County
What: A self-paced mile walk aimed at offering people as safe place to come together to openly talk about suicide and ways to prevent it. All are welcome.
When: 11 a.m. Oct. 19
Where: DriveHubler.com Amphitheater, 161 W. Monroe St., Franklin
Cost: Free, though donations to the Suicide Coalition of Johnson County will be accepted. Items are also available to preorder, such as a long-sleeved t-shirt for $25 and a beanie for $15.
Information: upstreamprevention.org
