It took three years of meetings with input from a wide range of individuals and organizations, but Bristol’s Suicide Prevention Coalition reached an important milestone with the installation of a new bridge sign, which advertises local 24-hour mental health resources, at the entrances to the Mount Hope Bridge.

“This is one rung on the ladder to where we want to go,” said Lt. St. Pierre, a member of the coalition. “We will continue to promote more visible efforts to get the message out there, that we have local resources available to help the community.”

The idea for the sign began with retired Parks and Recreation Director Walter Burke, who proposed it several years ago. Mr. Burke connected Lynn and John Patton of the Matthew Patton Foundation, named for their son, an Army soldier who died by PTSD-induced suicide, with Bristol’s Health Equity Zone (HEZ). Their partnership evolved into a coalition which meets monthly to address suicide prevention efforts within the community.

The Bristol HEZ brought the idea to Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority Executive Director Buddy Croft, who agreed with the concerns of the coalition about rising suicide rates and the need for people in crisis to know where to turn for local, immediately-available mental health resources.

“We would like to see this as a model for Newport, Jamestown, other communities around the state,” said Emily Spence of the Bristol HEZ. “The Bridge Authority is open to doing this in other communities.”

“It’s important for people to know that they can call someone local — that there are people in your community who can help,” said Lt. St. Pierre.

Ms. Spence is particularly grateful for the level of community engagement with such a difficult topic. “All of us believe in the importance of removing the stigma around mental health, providing resources, and making sure people know where to turn in times of crisis,” she said. “This is a perfect illustration of how the Health Equity Zone model works; a collaborative of people from different fields coming together to address one of the most pressing public health concerns in our community.”

According to Ms. Patton, anti-suicide messaging is essential on bridges like this one, where there are already far too many suicides and suicide attempts. “Plus, with the bridge’s historical status, there may be impediments to adding physical suicide prevention barriers,” she said. Ms. Patton also noted that the Suicide Prevention Coalition’s recent mental health survey produced actionable data, and the group is in the process of creating educational programs to address their findings.

Though the Matthew Patton Foundation’s primary focus is on mental health for military service members, reducing both the stigma of mental illness along with suicide rates is an important part of their overall mission. “We do this in our son’s memory,” said Ms. Patton. “I call it saving another mother’s Matthew.”