Between 60 and 70 people take their own lives each year in Clackamas County. A new county podcast episode walks through the free crisis lines, trainings and tools available to residents.

Galli Murray, Clackamas County's suicide prevention coordinator, laid out those resources in Episode 16 of the county's "ClackCo Works" podcast, published Tuesday, Sept. 15. Host Dylan Blaylock of the county's Public Affairs office led the conversation.

"You don't have to be a professional to help—just a caring human being," Murray said on the episode.

Murray said the annual death toll has grown since she started in the role more than a decade ago, when about 55 people died by suicide each year.

She pointed residents to two crisis lines: the county's own Crisis and Support Line at 503-655-8585, staffed by trained mental health professionals, and the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, reachable by call or text.

The county also offers free secure storage items, including medication lock boxes and firearm safes, available for pickup at the Oregon City office through a request form on the county's suicide prevention page. Murray said the time between suicidal thoughts and action is often less than an hour, making secure storage a meaningful step.

Free trainings and a youth-built app

Clackamas County partners with neighboring counties on "Get Trained to Help," a program offering free mental health and suicide prevention trainings that range from two hours to two days. The trainings are open to anyone. All ten school districts in the county also train staff and students, including middle and high schoolers learning QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer).

For younger residents, the Compass to Connection app, developed by local youth and young adults through the county's Suicide Prevention Coalition, is free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. It includes crisis resources, conversation guides and meditation tools.

The county's suicide prevention page also lists specialized crisis lines for veterans, LGBTQ youth through The Trevor Project, the Oregon YouthLine and the Senior Loneliness Line.

Upcoming events

Friday, Sept. 18, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Free Older Adult A.I.D. (Assess, Intervene, Develop/Deliver Support) mental health training at the Ledding Library of Milwaukie, offered in partnership with the City of Milwaukie.

Additional training sessions are listed on the Clackamas County events calendar at clackamas.us/events. The full podcast episode is available on the county's website and major podcast platforms.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.