Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski has seen the number of suicide prevention courses he gives go up every year recently, and he is happy that you continue to ask him to do so. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 49,476 Americans died by suicide in 2022, which makes it the 11th leading cause of death in the country. That is just a fraction of what could have been, however, as it was estimated that there were more than 1.6 million suicide attempts. With 94 percent of adults believing that suicide could be prevented, that is where QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training and other efforts come into play. Joski is happy that people are more willing to talk about their mental health and that others are willing to be proactive in helping a friend or family member in a time of need.

You can register here for one of two suicide prevention classes Joski is teaching this month. The classes will take place on Monday, September 16th, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Kewaunee Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Luxemburg and on Wednesday, September 25th, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the Algoma Wellness Center.