JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Talkable Communities, a nonprofit coalition made up of five behavioral health clinics in Northeast Florida, is at risk of shutting down due to state budget cuts.
The coalition says it needs to raise $300,000 by the end of the year in order to continue providing mental health resources to six counties across the state.
“With that cut, that means that we won’t be able to provide our trainings, QPR, It’s Time to Talk about It!, Adult Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid to people in our communities,” says John Corprew, a certified peer recovery specialist with the coalition.
Since 2021, Talkable Communities has hosted evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention trainings in Duval, Clay, Putnam, Nassau, St. Johns and Flagler counties. They say they’ve helped more than 12,000 people since their founding.
“It allows us to give people knowledge, to be able to know early signs of someone who’s experiencing a mental health crisis, as well as having the strength to ask someone, ‘Are you having thoughts of suicide, or are you thinking about killing yourself?’ because people are afraid to have that conversation,” Corprew said. “And if you’re afraid to have that conversation, great, we practiced that during our training, and that allows us to know that if you are not comfortable asking that person, well, hopefully you’re comfortable enough to get a professional.”
According to Florida’s Health Chart, suicide rates have steadily increased between 2021 and 2024. Duval ranked the county with the fifth-highest number of suicides in 2024, with 163. The counties served by Talkable Communities had a combined 318 suicides the same year.
Action News Jax asked Corprew if he expects suicide rates to increase in the event Talkable Communities shuts down.
“I don’t know about a rise in suicide rate,” Corprew said. “But I do know that without being able to provide this free training to people in our community, it’s not giving people courage and knowledge to know that there’s help out there and that the help can be you.”
To donate to Talkable Communities, visit talkablecommunities.org/hope.
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