COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The David Lawrence Center has launched a new pilot program, and all someone needs to participate is a cell phone. The goal is to prevent someone from attempting suicide.
The CDC says every 11 minutes, someone will die by suicide. At the DLC, they hope to change that alarming number, with the help of the new program called, "Caring Contacts."
"We begin with a series of text messages that vary slightly with a different cadence over the next 90 days," said Chief Operating Officer, Nancy Dauphinais.
WATCH BELOW TO SEE HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS:
Those messages will go out to people who were discharged from a crisis center. They can also go to people they met through their mobile outreach or other outpatient centers, who have an elevated suicide risk.
"There's 300% increase of risk for death by suicide a week after discharge, compared to others...and 200% in the next 30 days," she said. "There's a high no-show rate for attending those discharge appointments."
Text messages will vary, but Dauphinais gave a general idea of what it would say.
"We would communicate that we care deeply about the patient and mental health and that we're here for them and that we also want them to stay safe in this time," she said.
According a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the program, used elsewhere, reduced the odds of a soldier or Marine having suicidal thoughts or attempts.
"It doesn't require a response from the individual, but we still push out those messages, letting them know that we care," Dauphinais said.
The number of messages will range over the 90-day period. They can even be sent at a time of day when someone might be the most vulnerable.
"I think one of the things that makes the Caring Contacts so powerful is the caring part. It's knowing you're not alone and people do care," she said.
The pilot program was funded by a $40,000 grant from the Mental Health Risk Retention Group.
Dauphinais hopes to make it permanent, and potentially expand it to more people, more programs and different messages.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988.
