suicide prevention

Kansas Rep. Jarrod Ousley and Missouri Rep. Patty Lewis are introducing bills that would let people voluntarily exclude themselves from gun sales. Experts say such laws save lives.

Platte County voters will decide in November on a sales tax proposal that would help support mental health care for at-risk kids. Why is it needed, and what could it mean for the county if it passes?

The Clay Counts Coalition is launching a program aimed at raising awareness and improving access to mental health services for its rural agricultural community.

The federal government debuted the 988 mental health crisis hotline in 2022. While Missouri answers more than 9 out of 10 calls, a report finds the state needs more follow-up care.

When someone is in crisis, they might think to dial emergency first responders. But the counselors at the other end of 988 — the Crisis and Suicide Lifeline — may be better equipped to save both lives and money.

Domestic violence victims are utilizing hotlines more often — but experts say this likely reflects a growth in awareness of assistance options as well as courage.

Alana Washington knows how much trauma her middle school students in southeast Kansas City students can go through on a daily basis. She started the Save a Life Mentorship program to give students the tools they need to get through it. Plus: The Medical Arts Symphony of Kansas City community orchestra has helped Kansas City doctors and nurses reduce stress for more than 60 years.

As a second-year middle school teacher, Alana Washington knows how much trauma her southeast Kansas City students can go through on a daily basis. She started the Save a Life Mentorship to foster an environment where students can find a home within themselves.

The private foster care agency, KVC Kansas, has fallen short of court-mandated benchmarks for getting mental health treatment for children in its care. And other agencies perform even worse.

Missouri and Kansas receive thousands of calls and texts each month through 988. A new service added to the 988 Lifeline will offer suicide prevention and mental health crisis counseling through American Sign Language for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing without the need for an interpreter.

Two schools in the Hickman Mills district, Smith Hale Middle School and Ruskin High School, are participating in a national program that provides counseling and clinical mentoring to girls who have experienced traumatic stress.

A year after the creation of 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline will now be accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Those who speak American Sign Language will soon have life saving intervention a phone call away.