BoroSAFE in the Community

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BoroSAFE (Hillsborough Suicide Awareness For Everyone) is a committee composed of Hillsborough community members, including school staff and residents, working together to provide suicide awareness and prevention resources to Hillsborough and other local communities.

In 1999 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) declared suicide to be a public health issue.  This opened the door for education and more awareness about suicide.


  • 2000 - Traumatic Loss Coalitions formed

  • 2001 - National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

  • 2003 - President Bush’s New Freedom Report on Mental Illness

  • 2005 - NJ Governor’s Council for Suicide Prevention established.  Two-hour training requirement for teachers begins.

  • 2010 - NJ Youth Suicide Prevention State Plan

    In 1999 suicide was the second leading cause of death of adolescents between the ages of 15-24.  After bringing the issue to public awareness and establishing the Traumatic Loss Coalitions, suicide dropped to the third leading cause of death for this age group (it is the sixth leading cause of death for the 10-14 year old group).  There is one completed suicide every 15 minutes in the United States... 100 per day... and 34,000 a year.  Just one is one too many.

    Talking about suicide is difficult, but it is necessary.  We, at BoroSAFE, encourage all parents to talk to your children about this issue.  In order to get you started, we have shared the following link to a short video that will help you raise the questions:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BByqa7bhto

    For additional information or questions please feel free to contact the HHS Crisis Psychologist, Dr. Patricia Colontino, at (908) 431-6600, Ext. 2534, or via email at [email protected].

    The only thing scarier than talking about suicide is not talking about it.... and wishing you had.

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