County Behavioral Wellness Invites the Community to Join the Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Community Walk

Out of The Darkness Walk Taking Place on September 28 at Goleta Beach

The County of Santa Barbara, Department of Behavioral Wellness is a sponsor for the 2024 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Walk, and invites the community to join.  This year’s walk will take place on September 28th at Goleta Beach Park.  Communities throughout America are joining the fight against suicide in their local Out of the Darkness Walks.  Our local community walk offers an opportunity for people impacted by suicide to come together to connect and support one another, as well as raise awareness for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Suicide remains a critical public health issue, claiming over 47,000 lives annually in the United States, including more than 4,000 in California and 45 in Santa Barbara County in 2023 alone. National Suicide Prevention Month serves as a crucial reminder that, while suicide prevention is a year-round effort, this month provides a special opportunity to connect individuals with resources, spread hope, and reinforce the message that no one is alone—help is always available.

“We hope many will join us in this important community building event,” says Toni Navarro, Director for the Department of Behavioral Wellness. “This Walk gives people the space and the opportunity to open up about their own connection to suicide, and come together in a network of support and advocacy for conversations about mental health, hope and resiliency.”

There is no cost to sign up to walk.  Whether you register to walk with Team Behavioral Wellness, walk independently, or walk with a friend or another team, be sure to register!  It is free to walk, but registration must occur.

Date: September 28, 2024

Location: Goleta Beach Park

Check-in opens at 9:00am, and the event will begin at 10:00am!

To register, Click here.

Team Behavioral Wellness Registration Link – Click here.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call or text 988 for the Suicide Crisis Lifeline.  Or, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

To learn more about County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness, please visit https://www.countyofsb.org/274/Behavioral-Wellness. For assistance accessing Behavioral Wellness services, call the 24/7 toll free Crisis Response and Services Access Line at (888) 868-1649.