Larimer County, Board of Health proclaim September 2025 Suicide Prevention Month

The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners and the Larimer County Board of Health unanimously adopted a joint proclamation Sept. 23 designating September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Month in Larimer County.

The proclamation, presented by Tom Gonzalez, Director of Public Health, was moved by Commissioner John Kofalas and approved 3-0. It notes suicide is preventable, cites community prevention priorities and stresses social support as a protective factor.

Why it matters: public-health officials and community partners said the county—s community health improvement plan prioritizes increasing social support for older adults, youth, families, communities of color, LGBTQIA people, veterans and people with disabilities. The proclamation urges safe storage of firearms and wider use of free suicide-prevention training and resources such as the 988 lifeline.

Public-health context: Tom Gonzalez said reducing suicide is a cross-agency effort. Dr. Jared Olsen, senior population epidemiologist, reviewed data showing a decline in suicide deaths followed by a recent rebound and cautioned that small annual counts can produce unstable year-to-year changes; he said multiyear averages show evidence of progress since 2021.

Community partners speaking at the meeting included Cylin Wellington of Yarrow Collective, who described peer group supports and alternatives-to-suicide groups, and a written statement from Kim Mueller of the Alliance for Suicide Prevention noting the alliance reaches more than 13,000 community members annually.

Action taken: Commissioner Kofalas moved to adopt the joint proclamation; the board voted 3-0 in favor.

Ending: Commissioners urged residents to use 988 and take free prevention training (for example, QPR was cited in discussion) and framed the proclamation as part of ongoing community prevention and outreach rather than a change in services.