Samaritans Southcoast Launches New Program to Help Seniors in Crisis

The numbers reported by Samaritans Southcoast are a bit of a shocker. Forty percent of people who have achieved something in their lives, raised families, perhaps served their country and volunteered in their communities, are taking their own lives here in Bristol County.

Senior Outreach in Fall River

Samaritans Southcoast is attempting to do something about that number. Samaritans Executive Director Darcy Lee said her group has launched a pilot program in Fall River, working with people over 55 to better understand what's happening. She visited Townsquare Sunday to discuss it.

"We have partnered with the Fall River Housing Authority in a pilot program to learn what elderly people are experiencing, and how can we help them feel better," Lee said. "We are now surveying residents. We know that listening works. When people feel heard, they feel better."

Lee said the new program will include weekly check-ins and safety plans specific for people over 55, and other supports that residents will identify.

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988 Lifeline’s Impact in Massachusetts

In 2022, Massachusetts officials adopted a new program to respond to potential suicide calls, creating the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and creating new districts across the state.

Samaritans Southcoast has answered nearly 40,000 calls from residents of Bristol and Norfolk every year since the start of the program, and remarkably, the number of suicides in both counties has dropped. Suicides have declined 36 percent in Bristol County, and 22 percent in Norfolk County, far lower than state and national trends.

"There are a number of factors as to why suicides are on the decline," Lee said. "There is more discussion about mental health and emotional well-being when you visit your doctor, mental health is being stressed in the media, and by professional athletes."

"9-8-8 helps to break down the stigma about reaching out for help," she said. "We are trying to make 9-8-8 as recognizable as 9-1-1 is for medical emergencies and public safety."

Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health

September is National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month, but Samaritans Southcoast is working to get the word out every day about the importance of 9-8-8.

To learn more or to donate, visit the Samaritans Southcoast website.

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