Churchill County highlights suicide-prevention work in 2025 Behavioral Health Task Force report

Shannon Erns of Churchill County Social Services introduced Emma White, who presented the 2025 impact report of the county's Behavioral Health Task Force, detailing outreach, training and system improvements aimed at reducing suicide and increasing access to services.

White said Nevada has alarming suicide statistics, including the highest national rate for people 65 and older and tenth highest overall, and said the task force pursued locally accessible options to reduce travel barriers for care. Among the highlights: a telehealth and wellness room at the Life Center, adoption of the Unite Us platform to connect residents with local supports, a school-district crisis tabletop that produced a suicide postvention policy and an internal school prevention task force, and multiple public awareness events. White said Safe Talk training reached 400 Churchill County School District staff in a single day, which she described as a state record, and that Hope Squad students received two-day ASSIST intervention training.

Looking ahead, White asked the board to support countywide adoption of a formal crisis response plan and to implement Signs of Suicide programming in county schools in 2026. She also emphasized addressing social determinants of health (housing, food instability) and coordinating with partners such as NAMI Nevada, the Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe.

Commissioners thanked presenters and had no formal action beyond accepting the report and noting additional information in the packet. Staff encouraged commissioners to contact Social Services for training opportunities.