Suicide: Risk, Recognition and Prevention

Colorado's suicide rate is one of the highest in the United States.  in fact, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death nationally. Colorado has had 1,093 deaths already in 2017 and December results have not been completely reported.  Surprisingly, working and middle age white men account for the highest number of suicide deaths in the State annually. Men die by suicide four times more than women. Close behind them are suicide deaths by teenagers and young adults. The suicide rate for this younger age group is 10.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016.  State officials and suicide prevention organizations estimate that the real rates are much higher.  Stigma and insurance rules result in unreported suicides with many counted as accidents.  

Experts, like Bev Marquez, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners, say that there are ways to pick up on signs of suicide if people are aware of them. Those signs include sudden changes in behavior, romantic or financial problems or even teen rebelliousness.  Her presentation will discuss underlying causes of suicide and how to recognize symptoms.

Bev Marquez earned an MA in Agency Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado in 1988 and has a BS in Psychology from Colorado State University. Bev is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Psychological First Aid Trainer.  Bev joined Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners as its Director of Operations in April 2010 and was named the CEO in December 2012. Her background as a former employee assistance program administrator, workplace critical incident consultant and clinician lends to her inherent experience in behavioral health, suicide prevention, and crisis management.  Ms. Marquez is most qualified for leadership at Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners as she has been at the ground floor of system and program development in both public and private mental health service systems. 

Dr. Charlie Hazlehurst will introduce Ms. Marquez.