State announces $1.6 million to help prevent suicide in rural areas, including Orleans

Press Release, New York State Office of Mental Health

The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced a four-year $1.6 million initiative aimed at strengthening community-led prevention and resiliency efforts to address the higher suicide rates experienced in rural areas of Broome, Genesee, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates counties.

The announcement followed a two-day conference on rural suicide prevention that was hosted in Ithaca last week by the Suicide Prevention Center of New York, which is located within OMH.

“Each of the 1,700 New Yorkers who die by suicide annually represents an incalculable loss,” OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “They were our family members, colleagues, our friends, and our family members – our loved ones. At OMH, we have an unwavering commitment to reducing the tragedy of suicide by reducing isolation and removing barriers to care, especially in our high-risk rural communities.”

The Rural Outreach, Organizing, Training and Suicide Prevention initiative – also known as “ROOTS-NY” – will build sustainable suicide prevention capacity by strengthening community infrastructure, expanding workforce skills, and fostering coordinated partnerships between healthcare systems, community organizations, and local leaders. The program will rely on existing community resources to create a sustainable, localized prevention system to support counties that are predominantly rural.

Rural communities are often exposed to a host of risk factors for suicide, including economic hardship, unemployment, unstable housing, social isolation, higher prevalence of firearm access, less access to mental healthcare, and more. Between 2022 and 2024, the counties participating in ROOTS-NY had a combined suicide rate of 12.23 per 100,000 population – significantly higher than the statewide rate of 8.77.

Among those over age 20, the rate was 15.35 per 100,000, which is also sharply higher than the statewide rate of 10.85 per 100,000 for that age group. About half of suicide deaths in these counties were by firearm, compared to 29 percent statewide, highlighting the opportunity available to promote lethal means safety as part of the initiative.

“Rural communities have unique strengths, but they also face unique challenges when it comes to suicide prevention. Geographic isolation, limited access to behavioral health services, and other barriers can make it harder for people to get the support they need,” Suicide Prevention Center Director Dr. Jay Carruthers said. “ROOTS-NY is about meeting communities where they are, building on the people, organizations, and resources already working to support their neighbors. By strengthening existing local partnerships and forming new ones, expanding prevention skills, and increasing access to lifesaving support, we can help rural communities build enduring pathways to hope, connection and help.”

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is also available to connect New Yorkers to trained crisis counselors 24/7, who can help anyone thinking about suicide, struggling with substance use, experiencing a mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. New Yorkers can call, text or chat 988 if they are worried about someone who may need crisis support.