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Henderson County coalition launches school and community suicide‑prevention steps
Summary
The Henderson County Behavioral Health Coalition outlined a multi‑year strategy that includes Zero Suicide practices, Sources of Strength peer programs in local schools, CALM training in 2026 and grief/postvention support; leaders said funding and grant efforts are underway to expand services.
Melissa Whitmire, Henderson County’s public health strategist for behavioral health, told the Hendersonville City Council on Oct. 2 that a newly formed county coalition has prioritized suicide prevention and school‑based interventions after a recent rise in local suicide rates.
Whitmire said the coalition — about 150 people strong and meeting monthly — has already launched a Sources of Strength peer‑leader program at North Hendersonville High School and Hendersonville Middle School and plans to reach all seven schools this school year. “We identified funding through the Community Foundation of Henderson County and Department of Education,” she said, adding the program brings peer leaders and adult advisers together to spread strengths‑based messaging in schools.
The coalition is also adopting the Zero Suicide framework for systemwide screening, training and postvention work, Whitmire said, and will begin CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) training in early 2026 with identified funding. Officials are pursuing a care‑transitions grant to provide 90 days of follow‑up for people leaving acute care or jail and are coordinating training for clinicians on collaborative assessment and identification of means for suicide.
Whitmire said the group has launched a survivors of suicide support group and held a sold‑out Henderson County Behavioral Health Conference in March 2025. She urged continued local support for sequential intercept mapping — an evidence‑based process that brings criminal justice and behavioral health experts together to identify gaps at each point where people intersect with the justice system.
Coalition members said they will continue to seek philanthropic and state funding and asked the council to consider local partnerships as the county builds infrastructure, trainings and grief/postvention programming. Whitmire closed by noting a grant under review could fund a formal care‑transitions program paired with local hospital and behavioral health partners.
The coalition’s stated near‑term priorities are the countywide behavioral health plan, a small dedicated suicide‑prevention workgroup, targeted public awareness about crisis‑to‑care pathways, and a behavioral health urgent care model. Council members thanked Whitmire and encouraged ongoing coordination with city and school leaders.
