Bethel police, tribal court and clinic hosted two-day suicide prevention training

The Bethel Police Department, the Orutsararmiut Native Council's Tribal Court Services and Bethel Family Clinic hosted a two-day Connect suicide prevention and planning training Nov. 2 and 3 at the ONC Multi-Purpose Building, the City of Bethel said.

Representatives came from the Bethel Youth Facility, TWC, ONC, Bethel Family Clinic, the Lower Kuskokwim School District and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, the city said.

The training was provided by NAMI New Hampshire in conjunction with the Alaska Department of Health. Elaine de Mello of NAMI New Hampshire led the sessions.

Connect is a suicide prevention model developed and trademarked by NAMI New Hampshire and listed on a best-practice registry, according to the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council Annual Report 2024. The report says every grantee at the state's 2024 meeting of school-based suicide prevention grantees, eight school districts from the North Slope to Anchorage, took Connect training so they could bring it back to their districts.

The Bethel sessions centered on planning and collaboration and gave participating organizations time to network and build partnerships. Those discussions produced several new connections, and organizers look forward to strengthening those relationships and expanding future training opportunities in the community, the city said.

Alaska recorded 213 suicide deaths in 2023, a rate of 28.5 per 100,000 people, according to the council report. The council reports that rural communities have higher per capita rates, particularly in Western and Interior regions. State data show Alaska's youth suicide rate reached a 10-year high in 2025.

The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling 988.