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McDowell human services forms teen suicide prevention team after rise in attempts
Summary
Human Services Director Sarah Brewer told commissioners July 13 that McDowell DSS has screened 21 reports of teen suicide attempts since April 2024, including at least four deaths; the county is forming a prevention team, distributing gun locks and launching outreach with schools and community partners.
Sarah Brewer, McDowell County’s human services director, told the Board of Commissioners on July 13 that teen suicide attempts are increasing in the county and described a newly formed prevention team to respond.
“Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in North Carolina youth,” Brewer said, and she told the board that McDowell DSS has screened 21 reports involving teen suicide attempts since April 2024. “At least four of those teens ended their life,” she added, noting many local cases involve ages 13–16.
Brewer identified several local risk factors the team has found in case reviews: social‑media content that encourages self‑harm, bullying, easy access to substances and unsecured firearms, and caregivers who lack awareness about online risks. She said school staff, EMS, law enforcement and juvenile‑justice staff are already part of the group and that the county will widen its partnerships to include churches and other community organizations.
To reduce immediate risks, Brewer described practical steps the county is deploying: promoting protective relationships and mental‑health supports in schools, launching a social‑media awareness campaign with the message “save our kids, speak up, and reach out,” and distributing gun and trigger locks to families. “We have a bunch of [locks] in my office,” Brewer said, and the sheriff’s department will help distribute them to households identified by social workers.
Commissioners praised the report and offered to help the effort. Commissioner Garner, who noted church and school networks can assist with distribution, suggested working with the school system to get safety devices and information home with students.
Brewer said the prevention work is early and that the team intends to standardize data collection across agencies to better track attempts, fatalities and the factors involved. She asked the board for continued support as the initiative develops and for help spreading community outreach and awareness activities.
The county did not adopt new regulations at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to continue coordinating with school and public‑safety partners and to return with updates and any requests for funding or formal actions.
