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Kings County proclaims September 2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness and Recovery Month
Summary
Kings County Behavioral Health asked the Board to adopt a proclamation recognizing suicide prevention and recovery month; the board approved the resolution and staff outlined local events and resources including a Walk of Hope.
The Kings County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 adopted a resolution proclaiming September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Awareness and Recovery Month in Kings County, county Behavioral Health staff said.
Brenda Tamayo Pagan, program manager with Kings County Behavioral Health, told the board the resolution recognizes that "recovery from suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, substance use disorders, and the loss of a loved one to suicide is possible when our community stands together with compassion, access to treatment, cultural connection, and strong local support." Tamayo Pagan asked the board to adopt the proclamation on behalf of the department.
Sandra Ruiz Rivas, clinical program manager for substance use disorder services, cited county statistics saying Kings County registered higher emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to drug overdose in February 2023 compared with the state average and said the county also saw higher alcohol-impaired deaths than other California counties. She urged residents to attend the 18th annual Recovery Fest on Sept. 27 at Sentinel Park in Hanford.
Behavioral Health staff also outlined outreach events during the month, including a "Walk of Hope" suicide prevention awareness event on Sept. 17 at Hanford Civic Park and a youth-focused community circle on Sept. 29 at North Star Courts in Corcoran. Liliana Robles, program coordinator, described the 988 national hotline and local mobile crisis response available 24/7 and said bilingual resource flyers were available on the back table.
The board voted to adopt the resolution; members thanked staff for the outreach work and resources.
Why it matters: Supervisors and Behavioral Health officials cited elevated overdose and alcohol-impaired death metrics and emphasized stigma reduction, community outreach and access to crisis services as the aims of proclaiming the month and highlighting local events and resources.
The proclamation was adopted during the board—s regular meeting and staff said they will continue outreach and resource coordination throughout September.
