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About Us

The Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition

The Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition is comprised of representatives of government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, schools and other community members who work to reduce suicide risk and deaths by suicide in Westchester County.​

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Risk of suicide touches all parts of our community across generations, socio-cultural, ethnic and faith groups, across the range of health status and life experience.  To reach into our communities effectively, our membership includes the perspectives of individuals who have lived experience of losing loved ones to suicide, those who have personally experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors; those who provide an array of support services to the community and others interested in preventing suicide. 

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Our VISION is to significantly reduce the number of suicides, suicide attempts, and to help alleviate the traumatic after-effects of a death by suicide.

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Our MISSION is to increase awareness, decrease stigma, and implement and support efforts throughout Westchester County aimed at suicide prevention.

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To achieve our mission, we provide suicide-specific education, prevention, and mitigation initiatives tailored to the needs of Westchester’s communities. We collect and analyze countywide data to inform our initiatives.

Our History

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​Recognizing the serious risk and effects of suicide, the Coalition was established in 2014 to promote frank conversation about suicide and to deliver a variety of educational opportunities throughout the county, from “Community Conversations” to evidence-based training. Our initial goal was to raise awareness, decrease stigma and provide community members with tools to discuss and address risk of suicide in their personal and professional lives.

 

We recognized that a broad membership of individuals to offer a range of perspectives and life experience was essential to identify our specific needs, goals and strategies. With this in mind, we actively recruited relevant stakeholders to build our Coalition.

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Our Work Today​

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​Our membership is comprised of a committed core of individuals who provide a range of perspectives and life experience who share our common mission.

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Our Committees address the specific needs of groups within the county, including our college and university campuses, our veteran and military communities, and faith communities.  Our Data & Action Committee analyzes available information to inform best use of our resources. We organize and sponsor relevant professional training and community education, based on our continual assessment of need.

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Our Coalition has become an effective mechanism to share information and improve coordination among the many initiatives organized by community partners within the county, thus leveraging each others’ strengths and using our resources wisely.

 

Through ongoing community and educational events, partnerships with colleagues and neighborhood groups and our website, we provide information about the risk of suicide, and most importantly, connection to effective resources.

 

The Coalition is Co-Chaired by Dr. Barbara Bernstein, founding Co-Chair;  Marie Considine, Executive Director, NAMI Westchester and  Annette Peters-Ruvolo, Program Director, Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health.

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The Coalition meets monthly and welcomes new members. To join or learn more, please contact us.

Organization Membership (as of 02/2025)

  • Andrus

  • Break the Hold

  • Center for Career Freedom

  • Charlie Health

  • Comunilife

  • Family members

  • Family Services of Westchester – Vet2Vet

  • Greater Mental Health of New York

  • Greenburgh Public Library

  • Human Development Services of Westchester

  • Mental Health Providers in Private Practice

  • Moms Demand Action

  • NAMI Westchester

  • Non-Profit Westchester

  • NY Presbyterian Hospital

  • NYS Bridge Authority

  • NYS OMH-Rockland State Psychiatric Services

  • Port Chester Police Department

  • Retirees from the Mental Health field

  • Rye Youth Council

  • Scarsdale Police Department

  • Southern Westchester BOCES

  • SPEAK

  • St. Vincent’s Hospital

  • The College of Westchester

  • The Harris Project

  • Veteran’s Administration

  • Village of Mamaroneck Police Department

  • Westchester County Department of Health

  • Westchester County Department of Social Services

  • Westchester County Department of Corrections

  • Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health

  • Westchester County Labs and Research (Office of Medical Examiner)

  • Westchester County Medical Center

  • Westchester Jewish Community Services

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© 2025 Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition

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