Here at Elmhurst Hospital, the Youth Suicide Prevention Program has been offering free workshops and services at schools and community organizations in Queens for the past year.
The official headquarters were inaugurated this Tuesday.
Elmhurst resident Johanna Pineda says:
“It is a hope for families who sometimes have nowhere to turn when they feel they have these problems with their young people.”
The program will operate from this building between 71st Avenue and 77th Street, with a special focus on Latino, Indigenous, African American and LGBTQ+ communities.
“For many Latino families, this is a taboo, these are things that are still not allowed in many homes, and maybe it is because parents do not have the information and the resources.”
The goal is to provide guidance on warning signs, prevention measures, and resources available to prevent youth suicide.
This is done through community outreach in churches, schools and organizations.
“We are here for young people and we have the power to prevent youth suicide,” said Dr. Angelica Terepka, executive director of the ESPY Program.
The initiative not only focuses on young people, but also on educating and supporting parents and local organizations.
“Just like right now we have the 988 number or you can call the suicide hotline but having a physical space where people can come and see people in person and talk and connect in person I think is going to be a different world,” adds Perla Villanueva, community organizer with the Elmhurst Community Partnership.
For more information about the Elmhurst Hospital ESPY Youth Suicide Prevention Program, you can call 718-334-1340.
_______________
We invite you to visit us on the new NY1 News channel on WhatsApp. There you will find the most relevant news about what is happening in New York, as well as other coverage about the rest of the country, Latin America and the world. Click here in this link to access the channel. We thank you in advance if you become one of our followers and express your reaction to what we publish with an emoji.
