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September Is National Suicide Prevention Month, Resources In The Santa Clarita Valley

In an effort to save lives, September has been named National Suicide Prevention Month and Santa Clarita Valley organizations provide various mental health resources.


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There are a number of mental health resources available in the Santa Clarita Valley, including a suicide prevention hotline, a new team the SCV Sheriff’s Station has recently rolled out and a unit at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

If you find yourself with no one to turn to, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or log on to their website.

The phone lines and website are staffed 24 hours a day.

As of August, there was an estimated total of 18 suicides throughout the Santa Clarita Valley since January, according to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials.

The Suicide Prevention Foundation defines clinical depression as a condition present if at least five or more of the following symptoms exist during a two-week period; at least one of the symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities:

  • Depressed mood;
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities;
  • Change in appetite or weight;
  • Change in sleeping patterns;
  • Speaking and/or moving with unusual speed or slowness;
  • Decrease in sexual drive;
  • Fatigue or loss of energy;
  • Feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach or guilt;
  • Diminished ability to think or concentrate, slowed thinking or indecisiveness;
  • Thoughts of death, suicide or wishes to be dead.

The Foundation lists more factors that point to an increased risk of suicide in people who are depressed:

  • Anxiety, agitation or enraged behavior;
  • Isolation;
  • Drug and/or alcohol use or abuse;
  • History of physical or emotional illness;
  • Feelings of hopelessness or desperation.

The victims of the suicides from this year reportedly suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and extreme stress, according to SCV Sheriff’s Station officials.

Some had unknown motives or mental illnesses because they didn’t tell anyone, according to SCV Sheriff’s Station officials.

A majority of the suicides were male, and all were estimated to be between the ages of 30 and 59 years old.

The SCV Sheriff’s Station, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, also rolled out the “Mental Evaluation Team” on Wednesday, July 15, 2015.

The teams are staffed by specially-trained Sheriff’s deputies and mental health clinicians that will provide seven day a week coverage to respond to specific mental health-related calls in the Santa Clarita Valley, according to officials.

“Our goal is to provide necessary evaluation, service referrals and transportation as the situations dictates,” said Captain Roosevelt Johnson of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. “The Mental Evaluation Team will be called out by the responding deputy for those calls where we have attempted suicides, family violence and mental illness-related issues. The teams are trained on how to best respond to these situations and will allow our deputies to respond to other calls for service.”

The Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Behavioral Health Unit, or BHU, is a psychiatric care facility.

The BHU treats a wide range of acute psychiatric illnesses, including major depression, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia.

The BHU welcomes inquiries from individuals who are concerned about themselves, the wellbeing of their family members or others that may require treatment for a psychological disorder, according to BHU’s website.

“(The best feeling is) when people come in feeling hopeless and leave feeling hopeful,” said Cary Quashen, the executive director at the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Behavioral Health Unit,

The BHU offers assessment of emotional and psychological issues, health screening, case management, medication management, treatment planning, community integration planning and referrals, according to BHU’s website.

“We work with normal people who (are going through) some kind of crisis,” said Quashen.

Anyone with suicidal thoughts can walk into the ER at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, be diagnosed and sent to the BHU or for other services.

The BHU is a 23-bed acute psychiatric facility and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital also offers a free, confidential mental health screenings on their website.

Regardless of the issue, there are people who care and there are resources available for help.

For anyone seeking more information about mental health resources available in the Santa Clarita Valley, below is a list and a link to more information:

There are 24-hour numbers available. In the event of an emergency, 911 should always be the first call. Those looking to speak with someone can call 1-800-854-7771, for The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health; and 1-800-784-2433, for The Treatment Advocacy Center. You can contact the SCV Child & Family Center at 661-259-9439. The phone number for the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project is 661-257-9688.

A List Of Santa Clarita Valley Mental Health Resources

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

September Is National Suicide Prevention Month, Resources In The Santa Clarita Valley

2 comments

  1. Thank you for this very informative and timely article. I am continuously impressed by Ms. Harbin’s and KHTS’s sensitivity to issues related to mental health in general, and suicide in particular and your willingness to disseminate important information about signs and symptoms to be aware of as well as resources that are helpful.

  2. Thanks to Heather Harbin for writing this excellent article. People in the SCV are fortunate to have KHTS radio and it’s community minded owners and staff who are so dedicated to our community. Mental Health and suicide are topics that need to be talked about and our community needs to know where they can find help. Thank you to KHTS – Great job.

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About Heather Harbin

Heather grew up in the Santa Clarita Valley and graduated from West Ranch High School in 2012. She recently graduated from College of the Canyons with an Associate's Degree in New Media Journalism. She was involved in College of the Canyons' "Cougar News" for two years, where she became the senior producer. She will be studying for her Bachelor's Degree at Cal State Northridge in the spring. Heather became a staff writer at KHTS AM-1220 following her internship in the newsroom. She has been writing news and feature articles for the KHTS website since May 2015.