September is Suicide Prevention Month, and there are several people and groups in Tooele County working to prevent death by suicide, one life at a time.

September is the month to remember those lost, acknowledge those who have experienced thoughts of suicide, and offer hope to others, according to local officials.

Stacy Smart is a prevention specialist at the Tooele County Health Department. She has been working in her current role since 2022, when the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Grant was provided to the county to pay someone to work full-time to aid in preventing suicide in the county. In her current role, Smart works with national, state, and local groups and organizations to come up with strategies to prevent death by suicide. She also works on the county’s suicide prevention plan, the county’s postvention plan, secures grant funding, hosts trainings, and collects data.

Prior to working at the health department, Smart worked for the Tooele City Communities That Care department and became passionate about suicide prevention over 10 years ago.

“This isn’t something I thought I would be involved in,” Smart said. “In 2015, we had four deaths at the high school, and that’s when we decided that we needed to bring a suicide prevention training here.”

During her time at Tooele City, Smart worked with Valley Behavioral Health to bring QPR training, which stands for “question, persuade, and refer,” to the city.

Smart, like most people, has been touched by suicide.

“Every life matters,” Smart said. “Suicide is the most preventable cause of death, and I want everyone to live. I want people to be able to find the help that they need; there are resources. A lot of the time, people just don’t know where to find them, so that’s why I’m glad I get to do what I do.”

When she isn’t working in suicide prevention, Smart enjoys self-care, spending time with her family, visiting the mountains, boating, snowmobiling, and traveling. Smart is also a member of the Life’s Worth Living Foundation’s coalition.

Natalie Heiner also works as a prevention specialist at the health department. Her position is funded by the Mental Health Awareness Training Grant from SAMHSA—the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Heiner has been working for the health department in her current role for three years.

Heiner focuses on providing the county with suicide prevention trainings. She often trains first responders, the medical community, teachers, and members of the general public.

“Most of my time is spent reaching out and trying to reach agencies and organizations,” Heiner explained. “The training is free because of the grant funding. My goal is to get as many people trained in suicide prevention in the county as possible.”

Heiner made the decision to work in suicide prevention because she is passionate about mental health and she cares about healthy families, marriages, and people in general.

“There are a lot of people struggling with their mental health, and there are a lot of things we can do to help with that,” she said.

In her free time, Heiner enjoys spending time with her three children and her husband. She also enjoys hiking.

Jon Gossett is one of the founders of the Life’s Worth Living Foundation. He started the foundation with Becca Brown on Feb. 21, 2014, after two young men in the community died by suicide.

“In February 2014, Tooele County had the fourth highest suicide rate in the state,” Gossett said. “One of the boys who died was a wrestler with my son, and one was Ed Hansen’s son. Because they happened almost a day apart, it really hit home. We had so many suicides that year that I felt like something needed to be done. After Becca Brown lost her brother, who was Ed Hansen’s son, we were talking, and we said we wished we could do something to make a positive out of this tragedy. From that discussion came Life’s Worth Living Foundation.”

Now, the foundation hosts a support group, a yearly Christmas festival, a yearly suicide prevention walk, helps families with postvention care, and raises money for suicide prevention. The foundation consists of a board of directors, including Gossett as president, Ed Hansen as vice president, Becca Brown as treasurer, and Amelia Gleed as secretary. The board also consists of Barb Hansen, Aceneth Warner, David Perry, and Sarah Marshall. The Life’s Worth Living Coalition, a group that supports the foundation, consists of over 20 members.

When he isn’t working to prevent suicide, Gossett works as a tile contractor. He also owns Fallen Sky Stone, a boutique in Tooele with his wife, travels to set up “hat bar parties” at weddings and events all over the county, and enjoys spending time with his kids and grandkids.

The Tooele County Mobile Outreach Crisis Team has been available to those who need them for over three years. MCOT workers are trained in de-escalation techniques and strategies and have an understanding of mental illness and substance use disorders.

The local MCOT team is stationed under a Tooele County contract with Valley Behavioral Health. They work closely with first responders and hospital staff. Most of the calls MCOT team members receive come through dispatch and the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988.

In addition to the above people and the MCOT group, there are many other people and groups working behind the scenes in the county to aid in preventing suicide. These groups and people include Valley Behavioral Health, counselors, therapists, religious leaders, and public figures.

Members of the general public can aid in preventing suicide by taking a QPR class, according to Heiner. QPR classes teach people how to recognize the warning signs and risk factors for suicide. The course also teaches participants how to ask questions when someone is at risk and how to refer them to an appropriate lifesaving resource.

The Tooele County Health Department will host their next QPR class on September 17 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. To sign up for the class, email Heiner at [email protected].

Suicide warning signs and clues include someone threatening to end their life, a strong wish to die, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, withdrawing from friends, family, and society; anger, statements of hopelessness, having a previous suicide attempt, and acquiring a gun or stockpiling pills, among other signs. Additional signs can be found online at samhsa.gov.

During the month of September, it is important to check on family members, friends, and especially coworkers, Gossett said.

“Our coworkers often see us more than our spouses do,” Gossett said. “Are any of your coworkers making noticeable changes, and are you concerned with them? If so, reach out. Ask them how they’re doing. Take them to lunch; be the one to start that conversation to see if they’re okay.”

Beyond reaching out to those around you, strive to be kind during the month of September.

“Take the extra initiative to be kind and really focus on others before yourself,” Gossett suggested. “If we do that, we are likely to find someone who needs us—someone who needs that extra love and attention during the month of September.”

There is help available for those who are struggling with thoughts of suicide.

988 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In 2022, the United States transitioned the 10-digit national lifeline to 988. The lifeline is to mental health as 911 is to physical health. Sunday, September 8 is 988 Day.

“988 isn’t going anywhere,” Heiner said. “If everyone would utilize it, we would have a lot more people stabilizing. If we have friends and family who are struggling, we don’t always know the right things to say or do or the right resources, but 988 does.”

Veterans in need of immediate assistance should dial 988, then press 1 or text 838255 to chat. The Veterans Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, confidential crisis support for veterans and their loved ones. Veterans don’t need to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect.

MCOT teams can be reached by dialing 988 and through Valley Behavioral Health by calling 435-843-3520.

Valley Behavioral Health offers outpatient mental health and substance use treatment for adults and children. They also provide school-based mental health services that provide children with an experienced mental health therapist at their schools. Valley Behavioral Health is located at 100 S. 1000 West in Tooele City and may be reached at 435-843-3520 or online at valleycares.com/tooele-county/.

The SafeUt app can be found on the Apple and Google app stores. The app is designed to provide students in local schools with 24/7 crisis intervention and emotional support in any type of crisis. It may be used for relationship difficulties, loss and grief, depression, anxiety, school issues, drug and alcohol problems, self-harm, or suicide. Although the application is designed for school-aged individuals, it may be utilized by all.

The Trevor Project Lifeline provides information and support for those who identify as members of the LGBTQ community. They can be reached online at www.thetrevorproject.org.

The Life’s Worth Living Foundation provides group meetings for those who have lost a loved one or have dealt with thoughts of suicide. The support group is held the fourth Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at Mountain West Medical Center, located at 2055 N. Main Street in Tooele City. All are welcome to attend.

The Rocky Mountain Hospice Grief Support group aids individuals in working through grief and loss in a caring environment. Group meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at Willow Springs, located at 85 E. 2000 North in Tooele City. The group can be reached by calling 903-238-6732 or by email at [email protected].

Live On Utah is the state’s suicide prevention campaign. Live On is a statewide effort to prevent suicide by promoting education, providing resources, and changing the culture around suicide and mental health. They have an Instagram page, which can be found by searching @liveonutah. There is also a suicide prevention playbook on their website, which can be found at liveonutah.org.

“Suicide is something that everyone is worried about,” Smart said. “We need to have awareness… Suicide prevention month should be every month. We should always care about saving lives, but it is nice to have a month where people can focus on it and turn their attention to the needs and awareness.”

“It’s important that we are keeping this on the forefront,” Heiner added. “It’s so important that everyone knows the tools and resources we have.”

Additional suicide prevention resources

Additional helpful hotlines:

Huntsman Mental Health: 801-587-3000

HMHI Warm Line: 801-587-1055

Depression Hotline: 630-482-9696

Self-Harm: 1-800-366-8288

Child Abuse Reporting: 801-538-4377

Child Protective Services (CPS): 801-538-4100

PTSD Hotline: 888-303-2785

Sexuality Support: 1-800-488-7386

Eating Disorder Hotline: 800-931-2237

STD & Aids Hotline: 800-232-4636

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

Sexual Assault 24/7:  1-800-565-4673

Grief & Loss: 8am-11pm: 801-587-1005

Linea Nacional Del SIDA y ETS: 800-344-7432

Rape Recovery Center Crisis Line: 801-467-7273

Victim Advocate Crisis Line: 801-580-7969

Utah Office for Victims of Crimes: 801-238-2360