The January 12, 2021 presentation by Mego Lien will showcase the County of Santa Clara’s Suicide Prevention (SP) Program, which was developed in 2010 in response to a cluster of suicides that took place in Palo Alto high schools. With the overall goal of reducing and preventing suicides in Santa Clara County, the SP Program applies a community-wide, preventative, and public health approach to the issue of suicide. While the program targets youth, middle-aged, and older adults through its work, the SP Program and Suicide Prevention Oversight Committee also specify target populations, according to annual suicide data analysis that accounts for disproportionately affected cultural groups. The success of the County’s program, the data-driven approach, the strong participation of community advocates, and the outcomes produced have all helped to prioritize this program with the County Board of Supervisors and executives.
As Suicide Prevention Manager of the Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department, Mego Lien manages public health efforts to prevent suicide across the County. Previously, Mego worked on the Injury and Trauma Prevention team at Prevention Institute, a national public health nonprofit that advocates for primary prevention and community wellbeing. She also has several years of experience in prevention of chronic disease and injury in low-and middle-income countries. Mego has worked as a suicide crisis line volunteer in New York City and as a sexual assault counselor and advocate in San Mateo County. She holds dual Masters of Public Health and International Relations from Columbia University in New York and a Bachelors in Psychology and Education from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
Hi! Please take this survey to help inform County of Santa Clara’s Suicide Prevention Campaign. Hit like to share it with your network and get the word out to the community about this important topic.
¡Hola! Por favor tome esta encuesta para ayudar a informar al Condado de Santa Clara de la Campaña de Prevención del Suicidio. ¡Haz clic en Me Gusta para compartirlo con tu red y correr la voz sobre este importante tema!
