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Adams County proclaims September as Suicide Prevention Month; officials outline prevention efforts
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners proclaimed September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Month. Health, law enforcement and prosecutors described prevention work including expanded trainings, safe-storage efforts and investments in mental-health services.
The Adams County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23 proclaimed September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Month and received presentations from the Adams County Health Department, the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office on county prevention efforts.
Julie Duran Mullica, a county commissioner, read the proclamation and noted national observances, including World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10. The proclamation was signed by all five commissioners and entered into the record.
Dr. Kelly Weidenbach, director of the Adams County Health Department, told the board that 105 Adams County residents died by suicide in 2024 and that suicide was the county’s 10th leading cause of death that year. Weidenbach described suicide as a complex public-health problem shaped by multiple risk and protective factors and said the county has used a population-health approach to prevention. She said the county is advancing safe-storage initiatives for firearms, expanding mental health first-aid training for residents, and backing local programs including UCHealth’s Zero Suicide work in Adams County. During her remarks she referenced funding the county has provided to improve access to mental and behavioral health services (presented in the meeting as "7,500,000.0 in funding").
The district attorney (recorded in the meeting as "Bridal Mason") and Sheriff (recorded as "Jean Claps") also spoke. The district attorney framed suicide as a major component of gun-related deaths and urged community awareness; the DA referenced the recent death of Northglenn Police Detective Paul Jayce and said increased awareness and help-seeking are essential. The sheriff said county partnerships and co-responder programs that embed behavioral-health responders with agencies countywide are a major element of the county’s response.
Commissioners commented that the county’s expanded co-responder programs, community events and school-based resources support prevention. Commissioner Mullica and other commissioners noted personal and family losses to suicide while endorsing continued investment in prevention and crisis response.
The board invited public-health, law-enforcement and school representatives for a photo after the proclamation and indicated further public events and outreach would continue.
