FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PBS NORTH CAROLINA TO PRESENT NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE GROWING RATES OF SUICIDE IN THE UNITED STATES
Facing Suicide, which premieres September 13 during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, shares stories of families impacted by suicide as well as research and guidance on prevention and treatment.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 8/9/2022 — PBS North Carolina announces the premiere of Facing Suicide, a documentary about one of the most urgent health crises in the country. Part of an ambitious national initiative led by Twin Cities PBS (TPT), the film explores the poignant stories of those personally affected by suicide, shares warning signs and coping strategies for those at risk and examines how new scientific research is leading to better prevention and treatment. The film premieres Tuesday, September 13, 9 PM, on PBS NC and the PBS Video app. Additionally, PBS North Carolina will host a special preview screening and discussion on Wednesday, August 31, 7 PM.
Suicide takes 40,000 lives each year in the United States, killing more people than car crashes and twice as many as homicide. However, suicides can sometimes be prevented with support from family and friends and treatment from professionals. The documentary focuses on populations hit especially hard by suicide, including the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, where rates are nearly twice the national average, as well as rural and farming communities. Greg Whitesell of the Flathead Indian Reservation and Fonda Bryant of Gastonia, North Carolina, share how intervention from friends and family led them to treatment. Amber Dykshown, a widow of a third-generation farmer, explains how she uses her husband’s death to destigmatize suicide.
“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among 15- to 34-year-olds, and young people in North Carolina are in the midst of the crisis,” says Laura Kieler, PBS North Carolina’s Chief Marketing Officer and Interim Chief Content Officer. “As North Carolina’s statewide network, PBS North Carolina is committed to using its reach to raise awareness of suicide, provide a platform for safe and open discussion and share resources with audiences across the state.”
On Wednesday, August 31, 7 PM, PBS North Carolina will host a preview screening of the film and a discussion with local experts at its studios in Research Triangle Park and online. The event will address how suicide has impacted communities across North Carolina, particularly young people, and offer insight on how to identify those at risk and find treatment. Following the screening, Dr. Carrie Brown, Chief Medical Officer for Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, will lead a panel discussion. Speakers include Charnequa Kennedy, Director of Counseling Services, North Carolina Central University in Durham; Vivian Barnette, PhD, Executive Director, Counseling Services, NC A&T University in Greensboro; students from Peer2Peer, a student-run counseling service at UNC-Chapel Hill; and Ashish George, Director of Public Policy and Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) Specialist, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), North Carolina.
PBS North Carolina was one of ten PBS stations awarded a grant from TPT to create suicide prevention initiatives in conjunction with the national PBS broadcast of Facing Suicide. In addition to hosting the screening and discussion, PBS North Carolina will also share local and national resources for those in crisis on its website.
Facing Suicide is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS.
The 988 Lifeline
If you or someone you know are in crisis or experiencing thoughts of suicide, text, call or chat 988 to connect to a trained counselor from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the United States. Learn more at 988lifeline.org.
About Twin Cities PBS
Twin Cities PBS (TPT)’s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of media. Established 64 years ago, TPT now operates as a public service media organization that harnesses a range of media tools to serve citizens in new ways—with multiple broadcast channels, online teaching resources, educational outreach and community engagement activities reaching more than 2 million people each month. Over its history, TPT has been recognized for its innovation and creativity with numerous awards, including Peabody Awards and national and regional Emmy® Awards. Find more information at tpt.org.
About PBS North Carolina
As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third-largest public media market, PBS NC educates, informs, entertains and inspires its statewide audience on-air, online and in-person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the statewide network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery, and four over-the-air channels—PBS NC, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS Kids and the Explorer Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, PBS NC serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state’s emergency services. Visit pbsnc.org and join the conversation at facebook.com/MyPBSNC and @MyPBSNC on Instagram and Twitter.
-PBS NC-
Media Contacts:
Kathleen Kramer, PBS North Carolina Marketing & Communications
kkramer@pbsnc.org
919-549-7059
