September is Suicide Awareness Month, and Baxter Regional Behavioral Health will be hosting a youth art contest for local schools based on Project Semicolon (Your Story Is Not Over). The winner will have their art displayed in one of the Baxter Regional Behavioral Health (BRBH) units and will have their picture with the Behavioral Health staff in the local media.

Project Semicolon is a national organization dedicated to the prevention of suicide. Their work is based on the belief that suicide is preventable, and everyone has a role to play in preventing it. Project Semicolon has helped more than 5.2 million people since 2013 by providing information and resources to teens, adults, and parents on dealing with issues from bullying and self-esteem to depression, anxiety, addiction, and bipolar disorder. The organization believes that “through raising public awareness, educating communities, and equipping every person with the right tools, we know we can save lives.”

Additionally, on Monday, September 24 from 8 a.m. to noon, BRBH will host an awareness event in the Lagerborg Dining Room. Behavioral health professionals will be available to provide information about suicide awareness as well as the inpatient units at BRMC.

Click here to learn more about Project Semicolon and the resources they provide.