By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The 988 suicide-prevention initiative won support at the May meeting of Northumberland County council’s Community Health Standing Committee.
Committee members were presented with two pieces of correspondence containing resolutions of support that had come in from other municipalities for the Federal initiative.
A letter from the Town of Caledon noted that the pandemic has increased the demand for suicide-prevention services has increased by 200%, but these services require those in distress to remember a 10-digit number or go through directories or be placed on hold. Meanwhile, a 988 crisis line is slated to become a reality in the US next year.
The letter from the Town of Plympton-Wyoming supported the motion from Caledon.
Councillor Bill Cane came out in favour of the service, arguing the simple three-digit number was an easy-to-use tool that someone in a desperate frame of mind might be more likely to make use of.
Cane made the motion to forego a routine motion like receiving for information purposes in favour of recommending that county council support the motions in the correspondence and recommend staff support the resolutions.
