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WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Marathon County Health Department and City of Wausau have announced that crisis prevention signs have been installed on the Bridge Street bridge over the Wisconsin River.
Public Health Educator Jessa Bokhoven says the signs contain messages of hope for those who may be at their lowest point while also encouraging the use of national suicide prevention hotlines. “Numbers like [shortcode] 988 and the national hotline which is 1-800-273-8255. Basically saying there is hope and there is help that is availible to people while promoting to call or text those lines.”
She knows that it will be difficult to track any success stories but in cases like this doing something is better than doing nothing. “We can’t know how much or how many times the signs [have or will] help people. We just know that they are a gold standard for promoting access to these lifelines to save lives.”
The announcement comes as National Suicide Prevention Month gets underway. Bokhoven says the signs will also be installed on other areas including the Thomas Street bridge, highway overpasses, and rooftops where people could jump.
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