News Releases from Department of Health

In Hawaii, one person commits suicide every two days. In fact, data collected from 2009 to 2013 shows suicide was the most common cause of fatal injuries among Hawaii residents, accounting for over one-quarter of all fatal injuries.

The Hawaii Department of Health is taking action to empower professionals and the general public to prevent suicides in Hawaii.  DOH’s Injury Prevention and Control Section and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division and the Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force are sponsoring an all-day conference to address this important issue. Queens Hospital, Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center, Honolulu Unit, and the Mayor’s Office of the County of Hawaii are also supporting the conference.

“E Malama Ola: Caring for Life” “Sustaining Communities, Families and Individuals through Life Promoting Actions” is the theme of the 2015 Prevent Suicide Hawaii Conference, which will be held at the Marriott Waikoloa Beach Resort, in Waikoloa on Hawaii Island on Thursday, April 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sustaining Communities, Families and Individuals through Life Promoting Actions”

The conference’s keynote speaker is Jerry Reed, Ph.D., MSW, Director of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, the nation’s only federally supported resource center dedicated to providing technical assistance and training to practitioners and professionals who serve people at risk for suicide.

The early bird rate for the conference is $65 through March 20. After March 20, the conference fee is $85.  Participants may also request partial or full scholarships. The group rate for individuals in a group of five or more from the same organization is $55. To register online, visit https://hispconf2015.eventbrite.com.