By Steve Sharp: Watertown Daily Times and Family & Friends magazine staff
Cultural anthropologists have long observed that as societies become more complex and pressurized, such as that of the U.S. today, mental illness increases. One of the unfortunate eventualities of serious mental imbalance and despondency, as well as acute drug and alcohol dependence, can be suicide. Some healthy younger people also experience setbacks but lack the life experience to realize few situations, good or bad, last forever. Hence they chose to end their lives.
In recent times, however, a caring, core group of people has formed in Jefferson County to combat suicide, and as 2019 begins, that group is growing, determining the best path for its mission and embarking on plans for project implementation. This group is called the Jefferson County Zero Suicide Team.
According to Jefferson County Medical Examiner Nichol Tesch and the county’s Crisis Services Manager Kim Propp, both of whom spearhead the team with others, white males between their mid-40s and mid-50s are the largest group in Jefferson County likely to commit suicide. This demographic is consistent with state and national statistics.
“Though it is difficult to speak for these individuals, case reviews have shown several contributing factors,” Tesch said in discussing why men in their middle years in the U.S. are so susceptible to thoughts of ending their lives. She went on to say it is believed financial stress, relationship and marital problems, unemployment, health insurance/health care issues, alcohol and/or drug dependency and physical and/or psychological health disorders are all at the root of the problems.
Tesch has investigated several of these suicide cases in person locally but is responsible for reviewing all county death cases, including follow-up with family and certifying death certificates.
Although they see a fair number in the main demographic, Jefferson County suicide prevention workers work to address all suicide concerns.
“They address and assess each situation brought to their attention,” Tesch said. “Staff is trained to use the Columbia Risk Assessment to determine their next course of action.”
The Columbia Risk Assessment is part of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale.
“The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale is a questionnaire used for suicide assessment developed by multiple institutions, including Columbia University,” according to the NationalSuicide Prevention Lifeline.
“The scale is evidence-supported and is part of a national and international public health initiative involving the assessment of suicidality. Available in 103 different languages, the scale has been successfully implemented across many settings, including schools, college campuses, military, fire departments, the justice system, primary care and for scientific research.”
In April of 2015, a group of Jefferson County Human Services and Health Department employees, along with peer specialists, attended a Zero Suicide academy offered through Mental Health America. Following the academy, in June of 2016, this small group decided to expand the team through all of the Jefferson County Human Services and Health departments. Since then, it has continued to expand, inviting people from many different disciplines and backgrounds into the fold.
The Jefferson County Zero Suicide Team met one day in early January to discuss the progress of the group, examine 2018’s suicide statistics both locally and nationally, and to set up further sessions and public training events.
The team brings together members from many walks of life in the region and has between seven and 10 active members who regularly attend meetings. There are many other team members who take part in meetings when they can, depending on the scope of the session. Team members consist of individuals from the Jefferson County Human Services and Health departments, Jefferson County National Alliance on Mental Illness, Veteran Services, medical examiner’s office, funeral homes, law enforcement, medical facilities and schools. Personal and family survivors, as well as other public members, also attend meetings.
“We are always looking to expand our team and welcome anyone who wants to attend,” Tesch said. A leader of the group is Propp, who told Family & Friends, “The group was formed to improve crisis staff, improve what the county as a whole is doing for suicide prevention, and to create more awareness.”
Currently, the group meets every second Tuesday of the month at the Jefferson County Human Services Department. “The meetings are held to discuss how we can reach the community through education and awareness events,” Propp said. “We also discuss prevention methods, statistics, trends and training opportunities.”
Tesch and Propp said the group is already having a positive effect in the community.
“Human Services, including several team members, partners with the local schools in training staff, providing adult and youth mental health first aid, materials on suicide prevention in teens and assisting the schools in implementing a curriculum called DBT STEPS-A. This last item is helpful in youth emotion regulation,” Tesch said. “Additionally, we have placed crisis line posters, with tear-off strips, in local bars. We have a program to train bar owners and staff about the HOPELINE. We have developed suicide prevention brochures that provide examples of suicide warning signs and risk factors, as well as resource information. We participate with partnering agencies in local suicide prevention events such as rock painting and an annual bowling fundraiser.”
The latest accomplishment has been the development of the annual prevention event, the Zero Suicide Resource Fair, which was held Sept. 8, 2018.
“We hope to grow this event bigger each year and possibly add a walk/run,” Tesch said.
Family & Friends met Kim Welsch of the Jefferson/Johnson Creek area during a recent meeting of the Jefferson County Zero Suicide Team. Welsch lost one of her two sons, age 15, to suicide in 2016. She has another son who is 6 years old.
Welsch takes part in the suicide prevention programming at the county level because she said feels she has a lot to offer and finds solace, personally, in being able to share her thoughts and concerns with others.
“My son was caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing and today, kids are so immediate to respond to things,” Welsch said. She acknowledged pressures on the youth of today can be exaggerated compared to past eras, because things can get out on the Internet that can never be retrieved. Children feel they may never be able to live down certain youthful indiscretions in the coming days -- or even the rest of their lives. Adding to the problems, internet bullying can become brutal.
On the positive side of the internet ledger, however, Welsch said she has found considerable support among others who have lost children to suicide and has also received encouragement from contacts she has developed with classmates of both of her sons, along with some of their parents. Her sister is a teacher in her home state of Iowa and has shared some of her thoughts, as well as contacts, regarding matters.
“I’ve been personally touched by more than two dozen suicides,” Welsch said. “I’m open and honest about things. We need to talk about suicide to understand each other and prevent further suicides from happening.”
Welsch said in her job with the state of Wisconsin her co-workers received counseling in how to deal with the bereavement of others. This included how to co-exist in the workplace compassionately with people who had experienced the suicide of a loved one or friend. She said the support she has experienced, to date, in the workplace has been outstanding.
“Your co-workers are like family,” Welsch said. “It was nice to learn that, in the workplace, it’s been OK to communicate about the loss of my son. I have to share. I’ve had a great core of friendship through work and that, along with other contacts, has helped me greatly.”
Welsch finds consolation in knowing her son’s passing has helped almost 100 people survive injury or illness, or just live better lives, after receiving donations of his tissue and organs.
“There have been more than 81 people who have been saved through these donations,” she said. “We turned a negative into a positive.”
Anyone seeking more information about the team is invited to contact Propp at the Jefferson County Human Services Department at 920-674-3105. There are also plans to create a social media page to provide the public with information.
“Though we are still working on an official mission statement, our biggest mission is to reduce the number of suicides in Jefferson County through education and awareness,” Tesch said. “We want everyone to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of suicide, then know who to contact for help. Our goal is zero suicides, because there is no other acceptable number for which to strive.”
Tesch said it is rewarding to be a member of the Jefferson County Zero Suicide Team.
“We are very dedicated to our mission,” she said. “Even if our efforts help just one person, our job is worth doing. Our hope is to gain more participants in order to generate more ideas and reach more of the community. We invited people to help us expand our team and make a greater impact. The Zero Suicide Initiative is a great thing and we are striving to do the best we can for our county. We can only improve from here.”
From left are some of the key members of the Jefferson County Zero Suicide Team. They are Kim Propp, crisis services manager for Jefferson County; Cory Krueger, outpatient therapist at Jefferson County Human Services; and Jefferson 
Shown at a recent meeting in Jefferson are members of the Jefferson County Zero Suicide Team, from left, Katie McIntyre, Fort Atkinson Elementary School counselor; community member Kim Welsch, who lost her son to suicide; Jefferson County Emergency Mental Health outreach worker Tanya Runyard, Jefferson County Psychotherapist Amy Porter and Josh Lee, manager of Fort HealthCare Behavioral Health.