According to Suicide And Crisis Center of North Texas advocate and Diamond Factory owner David Blank,
“A bit of history to help frame my inspiration for suggesting that everyone consider how to support the Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas follows:
“’Suicide Prevention of Dallas (later to become Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas) opened daytime phone service in late 1967 and expanded to 24-hour service with trained telephone counselors in 1969, which the non-profit considers its formal opening date.’
“The agency’s ongoing task, from day one, has been to de-mystify the concept of suicide and make it a subject that people increasingly can talk about, especially people whose family lives are impacted by suicide. Training workshops open to the public or to special professional groups such as physicians or pastors were regularly conducted during the early years before the taboo topic become an open conversation and a challenge to met by millions of families all over the world.
“Community leader and health care advocate Ruth Altshuler (and other community leaders) helped the organization’s initial team to see that it was not practical to have an all-professional Board of Directors, so it wasn’t long before they expanded to include non-medically trained citizens on the Board, a separate Clinical Advisory Board and an Advisory Board composed of former presidents and special community leaders.
“’Suicide remains its primary area of expertise. Suicide represents everyone’s most extreme state of personal crisis, generally the most frightening possibility that professional people-helpers face in dealing with emotionally disturbed persons. But suicide is also the ultimate threat to parents who want to help their children manage the risky issues of growing up. We have much to learn about helping people talk out their inner struggles instead of losing hope and destroying themselves,’ said the late Cliff A. Jones, one of the organization’s founders more than 50 years ago.
“As we now know, suicide knows no age, gender, ethnic, religious or family boundaries. We also know there is help, with no stigma attached, for individuals in crisis, their loved ones, their contemporaries, their co-workers and anyone who knows of an individual in need.
“Having been impacted by the suicide of a loved one, I encourage you to consider supporting the Suicide Crisis Center of North Texas. Visit sccenter.org for ways to donate, volunteer or learn more about how to help someone in crisis.”
* Graphic courtesy of Suicide And Crisis Center
