Leadership Lake County continues to build leaders and the community
MENTOR – Leadership Lake County’s Community Builders program is working on an innovative project aimed to save lives.
Community Builders are conducting a suicide prevention and awareness campaign in collaboration with the Lake County Suicide Prevention Coalition through the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service Board.
Community leadership focuses on linking and leveraging our personal and professional assets for innovative approaches to adaptive challenges, said Leadership Lake County CEO Jessie Baginski.
“Addressing suicide goes beyond a technical challenge – it takes a lot of people authentically watching for each other’s health and well-being,” Baginski said. “Our Lake County ADAMHS Board has been one of our community impact partners to address societal issues at a grassroots level. This project allows each member of the program to understand their individual role in change and how to amplify their impact.”
Community Builders is designed as an eight-month program for front-line employees and entry-level managers/supervisors to acquire leadership skills and increase civic engagement.
There are 26 students in Community Builders program for 2020, and they are working on a campaign designed to impact four distinct populations affected by suicide: veterans, youth, seniors, and LGBTQ.
“They identified a need in the community,” said Jay McDonald, Leadership Lake County program manager. “They started on this project in September. They want to make this sustainable even beyond their graduation.”
Community Builders participant Kelly Ann Davis, a director at the Wickliffe office of Catholic Charities, is part of the campaign to reach seniors.
“The largest group that die from suicide in Lake County are white men between ages of 50 and 65,” Davis said. “We found there aren’t many resources on this issue specifically for senior citizens, even though seniors are the likeliest group to commit suicide in the community.”
She said materials have been created listing the warning signs to help prevent suicides, but what is different about this messaging in this project is that it targets recipients in a different way that may be more receptive for seniors.
Davis said that’s because sometimes seniors are resistant or reluctant to implement changes to improve their own mental health or take action if they are exhibiting warning signs leading up to suicide. But seniors are often very eager to help someone else they feel may be in need.
“We created a flyer that has the warning signs, but coaches it in the way that you might help someone if your friend exhibits these signs,” Davis said.
The group has contacted all the senior centers in Lake County, and she has talked with all the Catholic parishes and the local ministerial association to make contact with non-Catholic parishes. Plans are in the works to provide training for seniors through the ADAMHS Board and Catholic Charities to create a lasting effect.
“We wanted to do something that made a difference,” Davis said. “We thought this was a project that combined the different issues we were passionate about and actually make a significant difference. If we can save one person from suicide that is a thousand times better.”
Community Builders participant Juliana Petti, who is the executive director of Alliance for Working Together Foundation in Mentor, is part of the group working on suicide prevention and awareness messaging targeting veterans.
“I think our group has had really good discussions,” Petti said. “We’re very cognizant to make sure the messaging shows up at everyday places such as the gym or VFW halls. Our biggest challenge is getting the messaging on point.”
Leadership Lake County is a private educational nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization established in 1986 and has become a highly-respected partner in the community.
For more information about Leadership Lake County, visit leadershiplakecounty.org or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/LLCLeads.
