Suicide prevention in our community

I always like to get the bad news first, then follow with the good. So I'll start there. Most of us are aware that Montana has the highest rate of suicide in the nation. Most of us have been touched in some way by suicide. There are a lot of factors that contribute to Montana's high rate of suicide, including a lack of mental health services (especially in rural areas), easy access to firearms and the lingering stigma about depression and reaching out for mental health help.

Now on to the good news. We're working incredibly hard in Missoula County to improve our community's safety net for thos...