York County proclaims September 2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month; local advocate shares daughter's story

York County commissioners on Sept. 17 read a proclamation declaring September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and heard comments from a local advocate who lost his 15-year-old daughter to suicide.

Vice President Mr. Burford read the proclamation into the record, citing national and state statistics and local counts. The proclamation stated that "in 02/2023, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 through 14," and listed leading-cause rankings for other age groups in Pennsylvania. It also said that "in The United States, 1 in 20 adults have serious thoughts of suicide each year, and 1 person dies by suicide every 11 minutes." The proclamation listed York County figures, stating that there were 74 "pseudo suicide deaths" in 2024 and 45 deaths year to date in 02/2025.

After the proclamation, Matt Dorgan, representing Building Bridges for Brianna, addressed the commissioners and audience. "350. That's how many people we lost in your county to suicide since 12/03/2020," Dorgan said, explaining he chose that date because it is the day he lost his daughter. He described Brianna as "smart, loving, and caring," and said his group formed Building Bridges for Brianna to connect people who need help with those who can provide it. "Mental health is not taboo. It's not a weakness. It's life. It's survival," he said. "If we can save 1 life, we are doing our job, and then we move on to the next."

The proclamation also recognized county mental-health agencies, community groups and stakeholders, and urged residents to "open the dialogue" and help eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. Commissioners noted the presence of county employees and local advocates, including representatives from NAMI, and encouraged visible support for the cause; later in the meeting a commissioner suggested wearing purple as a simple way to show support for suicide prevention.

The proclamation was entered into the meeting record; no separate roll-call vote was recorded in the public transcript. Presenters and commissioners emphasized community partnerships and awareness-raising as central elements of local suicide prevention efforts.