An innovative six-county nonprofit collaboration that’s been successfully fighting suicide in Northeast Florida communities, including in St. Johns County, is launching a new initiative designed to save more lives.
Talkable Communities launched in 2021 as a shared commitment among First Coast behavioral health organizations to expand access to mental health education and resources. Before state budget cuts this year, the initiative had mobilized and trained thousands of residents in Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties to help fight the root causes of suicide and mental health challenges.
“We’ve reached a crucial turning point,” said Mary Kelley Lancaster, project director for Talkable Communities. “We know this work saves lives and makes our communities more resilient. I’ve seen it create hope in people where none existed. Right now, that hope needs help.”
Talkable Communities must raise $300,000 in operational funding before the end of 2026 to continue the work it does each year offering suicide prevention and mental health first aid courses, Lancaster said. It’s an existential effort for the organization that has trained more than 12,000 people locally and nationally since 2021.
Talkable Communities funding enables more than 20 behavioral health professionals from five area nonprofits to offer residents across the country training in areas including: youth mental health first aid, adult mental health first aid, suicide crisis intervention and training for caregivers and family members interacting with people in crisis.
Organizations involved in the initiative include Starting Point Behavioral Health in Nassau County, Child Guidance Center and Gateway Community Services in Duval County, Clay Behavioral Health Center in Clay County and Putnam County and EPIC Behavioral Healthcare in St. Johns and Flagler counties.
Locally, Teresa Andrews of EPIC Behavioral Healthcare and a trainer for the Talkable Communities project, has seen firsthand the impact that Talkable Communities has had.
“Past trainees have told me that they feel more comfortable reaching out to someone and have been able to successfully help someone experiencing a mental health challenge or suicide crisis,” she said.
The Hope Needs Help campaign urges residents locally and nationally to go to TalkableCommunities.org/HopeNeedsHelp to learn how they can save lives and foster mental wellbeing by supporting the fundraising initiative reach its goal.
