Suicide rates in Pennsylvania have increased by 34 percent since 1999 and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 50 percent of people who die by suicide do not have a known mental health condition. Thus, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, Governor Tom Wolf announced that a Suicide Prevention Task Force will be created in order to develop PA’s suicide prevention plan.

The task force will produce a single statewide suicide prevention plan that takes into account the perspectives and experiences of state agencies, including the Departments of Aging, Corrections, Drug and Alcohol Programs, Education, Health, Human Services, Military and Veterans Affairs, and Transportation. It will also include the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency as well as the Pennsylvania State Police. Members will be appointed by agency cabinet secretaries.

The task force will hold its first monthly meeting in the next month or so and will work with the General Assembly, partners in suicide prevention, and other stakeholders to develop a new plan that will take into consideration recent data from the CDC, recommendations related to mental health made by the PA School Safety Task Force, and other pertinent current information.

Free help is always available 24/7 through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 for those in crisis and/or are considering harming themselves.