Let’s make Colorado a leader in suicide prevention

More than 40,000 Americans died by suicide last year. My cousin Melissa was one of them.

Melissa was like a sister to me. My family and I will spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out what we could have done to save her.

It’s a question we’ll never be able to answer. And even if we could, it’s already too late.

The good news: there are steps we can take to prevent suicide. That’s especially welcome news in Colorado, which has one of the nation’s highest suicide rates.

Earlier this year, our state legislature passed a bill to improve the quality and coordination of care for Coloradans in crisis or at risk of suicide. The new law promotes training for health care and criminal justice personnel to identify and address indicators of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Read more…