Common Ground hosts open house on suicide awareness, prevention

In recognition and support of National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 8 to Sept. 17, Common Ground is opening its doors to the community to share information about its suicide prevention efforts on Friday, Sept. 13, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the agency’s administrative offices at 1410 S. Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills.

Guests will get the chance to meet Common Ground's staff and volunteers, learn about programs, services and trainings, and walk away with a suicide prevention packet filled with helpful information for suicide prevention efforts and tips for supporting survivors of suicide loss. 

The free open house is just one of the agency’s planned activities aimed at increasing community awareness during National Suicide Prevention Week.  
A new Common Ground suicide prevention website will be unveiled, which will provide information on suicide prevention, intervention and follow-up, as well as tips and resource links, all in one place at www.suicideprevention.commongroundhelps.org .
Common Ground also is launching the new one-day edition of Mental Health First Aid training.  Previously a two-day commitment, this one-day training saves participants time but still provides all the information needed to provide the initial help to someone showing symptoms of mental illness or in a mental health crisis.
The next session, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26, will be held at Common Ground’s administrative offices in Bloomfield Hills from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register online at www.commongrounddhelps.org by clicking the MHFA button in the lower right corner or call Joan Roberts at 248 451 3733.
To RSVP for the open house, or for more information, contact Amelia Lehto, Crisis Line and Suicide Prevention specialist, at 248 451-2613.
Jerry Wolffe is the Advocate at Large/Writer in Residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.