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Kane County board proclaims September 2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Summary
The Kane County Board voted to recognize September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and heard from local nonprofit leaders about services and outreach. The resolution passed after brief comment and a roll-call vote.
Kane County recognized September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month on Sept. 9, when the County Board approved a proclamation urging residents who are struggling to call or text 988 for immediate help. The board adopted the proclamation after remarks from County Board member Bill Tarver and an extended, personal account from Stephanie Weber, executive director of Suicide Prevention Services of America in Batavia.
The proclamation cites national and state suicide statistics and local data, and it emphasizes county efforts to connect residents with help, including 24/7 answering of 988 calls by Suicide Prevention Services of America and local mobile crisis response partners. Tarver framed the item as an effort to raise awareness and support local providers.
Tarver said the proclamation recognizes local work to reduce deaths and to connect people to care. Stephanie Weber, identified as executive director of Suicide Prevention Services of America, described the group's history in Kane County and its operations, including a hotline now routed through 988, education and school outreach, a sliding-scale clinical practice, and partnerships with hospitals and community providers. Weber told the board the organization has no waiting list and emphasized local investment.
Board discussion was limited; the proclamation was introduced by Tarver and seconded (recorded as second). During roll call one board member recorded a no vote; other members voted in favor. The board president called the measure adopted and the group posed for photographs with agency staff.
Why it matters: Promoting the 988 lifeline and local counseling and overdose-prevention services is part of the county's public-health response; the proclamation underscores county support for a continuum of prevention, intervention, and postvention activities.
The board did not adopt new funding as part of the proclamation; members and staff noted ongoing county support for partner organizations and pointed residents to 988 and county online resources for mental-health and behavioral-health services. The board moved on to the next proclamation after a brief thank-you and photo opportunity.
