In June, 17 people in Fresno County died by suicide, a number that the Fresno County Behavioral Health Department revealed is the highest of any month since at least 2017. It’s made all the more stark by the fact that early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, suicides had dropped significantly.
Mental health needs are rising throughout the San Joaquin Valley, according to Kings View Behavioral Health Systems CEO Amanda Nugent Divine. The agency provides direct care and other mental health services, including a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline, for the San Joaquin Valley. She sat down with FM89’s Kerry Klein to discuss the context and scope of this public health crisis.
If you need help, the Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-888-506-5991.
