July 18, 2018
Georgia Child Fatality Review Panel Aims to Reduce Youth Suicide Through Awareness
Decatur, GA (July 18, 2018) – In 2018, the GBI’s Child Fatality Review Unit has received 23 cases of suicide related deaths of children under the age of 18. For every young person who dies by suicide, national statistics indicate 25 others will have attempted to take their own lives. There have been more than 1,000 suicide related admissions of children to Georgia hospitals in the past year. Several agencies in Georgia have come together to produce a series of public service announcements (PSA), the first of which was aimed at children helping children.
Today, the release of the second features adults who share their experiences with their loved ones who have considered or attempted suicide. These are parents, siblings, and experts who have seen this crisis firsthand and want to raise awareness for others to continuously seek help for children in crisis. Parents and teachers are in a key position to pick up on these signs and get help (https://youtu.be/c-5zgGQAXvk).
The PSAs are a continuation by the Georgia Child Fatality Review (GCFR) Panel to raise awareness of youth suicide. Joining GCFR in this prevention effort are Voices for Georgia’s Children, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Family and Children Services, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Individuals who exhibit signs of suicide, or identify signs of suicide in others, can call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line at 1-800-715-4225, 24/7. All calls are free and confidential. Alternatively, please visit www.mygcal.com for assistance. GCAL is provided statewide by DBHDD.
The mission of CFR is to serve Georgia’s children by promoting more accurate identification and reporting of child fatalities, evaluating the prevalence and circumstances of both child abuse cases and child fatality investigations, and monitoring the implementation and impact of the statewide child injury prevention plan to prevent and reduce incidents of child abuse and fatalities in the state.