Taking suicide prevention from Waterloo to Albany

Suicide is a tough topic to talk about openly, but thanks to the efforts of local groups and one local family, positive change is coming.

In June, Senator Pamela Helming (R-Canandaigua) met with Christopher and Tiffany Folk, along with their daughters Trinity and Calista, at her Albany office to discuss suicide awareness and prevention. The Folks, who lost their son, Tristan, to suicide, shared their personal journey and ongoing efforts to raise awareness about mental health, suicide prevention and more.

“No one likes to talk or think about suicide, as it is a painful loss when someone makes the tragic decision to take his or her own life. However, issues related to mental health and suicide are becoming more and more prevalent in our society, so suicide is something we need to talk and think about,” Helming said at the time. “We need to discuss how to talk to those who are thinking about suicide, how to prevent suicide, and how to improve mental health access.”