BISMARCK, N.D. (Prairie News Service) – North Dakota is rolling out another round of grants to help communities prevent suicides, and state officials say there’s more urgency with this funding, given the pandemic and its added stresses for many.

The Department of Human Services’ Behavioral Health Division will award 750-thousand dollars, to be shared by up to 19 community groups, local and tribal governments and nonprofits – all to develop or increase suicide-prevention strategies.

Division Director Pamela Sagness says while more people may already have reached out for help, history shows for others, it can take longer for the effects of a crisis to surface.

The deadline for groups to apply for grant funding is March 5th. Sagness says the most recent state data, from last spring, found nearly 70-percent of respondents reported an increase in mental-health struggles. Nationally, the group Mental Health America reported nearly 180-thousand Americans had frequent thoughts of suicide and self-harm last year – the largest number in its reporting history.

Mental-health providers and advocates say lack of access to services has been exacerbated by the crisis. Sagness says that’s why it’s important for grant recipients to build suicide-prevention infrastructure at the local level.

Prior to the pandemic, the department noted that among North Dakota high-school students, almost 19-percent reported they had “seriously considered” a suicide attempt in 2019, compared to 12-point-four percent a decade earlier.

The National Suicide Prevention Helpline is always available, at 800-273-TALK (8255)