Mifflin County marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Veteran advocate stresses shared responsibility in preventing suicide
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LEWISTOWN -- Every life has value, and every person facing emotional distress, mental health challenges, grief, trauma, substance use concerns, or thoughts of suicide deserves compassion, support, and access to help. That was the message at the heart of a proclamation adopted Thursday by the Mifflin County Commissioners, who designated September 2026 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
The proclamation recognizes suicide as a serious public health issue affecting individuals, families, veterans, service members, caregivers and communities across all ages and backgrounds. County leaders said the observance serves as a reminder that preventing suicide requires awareness, education, strong relationships and a commitment to ensuring those who are struggling know they are not alone.
Commissioners noted that suicide prevention is a shared community responsibility involving healthcare providers, emergency responders, schools, employers, faith communities, local organizations, families and neighbors working together to reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help.
The county's proclamation also highlighted the work of Together With Veterans HMJ and the Healing Connections Suicide Prevention Task Force, organizations that focus on increasing awareness, strengthening connections, improving access to resources and creating supportive environments throughout Mifflin, Juniata and Huntingdon counties.
Following the reading of the proclamation during the commissioners' meeting at the Mifflin County Courthouse in Lewistown, Scott Specht, a representative of Together With Veterans Huntingdon-Mifflin-Juniata, thanked county officials for recognizing the issue and spoke about the importance of building a community-wide support network.
Specht serves professionally as manager of Veterans Affairs health clinics in the region, but addressed commissioners on behalf of the veteran-focused organization, which partners with Healing Connections to provide educational programs, outreach efforts, and information about available services.
"Suicide does affect veterans at a higher rate than it does other populations, but it's a human problem," Specht said. "It's not just a veteran problem."
He emphasized that cooperation among area agencies and organizations is especially important in rural communities where resources may be more limited than in larger urban areas.
"We have to know what each other has as far as the different agencies and weave everything together as a safety net," he said.
Specht’s remarks were deeply personal. A veteran who served three combat tours, including two years in Afghanistan and one year in Iraq, he worked as a trauma intensive care nurse caring for wounded service members in combat zones.
Those experiences, he said, have remained with him long after returning home.
"Stuff sticks with you," Specht said while reflecting on his military service.
He told commissioners that the impact of suicide among veterans is something he has witnessed firsthand.
"We actually lost more guys to suicide after the fact than we lost while we were over there," he said. "I've been touched by veterans' suicide 11 times with friends of mine and soldiers that I served with."
The proclamation recognizes those challenges while stressing that prevention is possible. It notes that open conversations about mental health and suicide can save lives, and that seeking help should be viewed as a sign of strength rather than weakness.
County officials encouraged residents to learn the warning signs of a mental health crisis, check in on friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, and veterans who may be struggling, and listen without judgment when someone reaches out. Even small acts of support and connection can make a significant difference.
Organizations such as Together With Veterans HMJ and Healing Connections continue to provide resources and programming aimed at strengthening those connections while helping community members better understand how to respond when someone is in crisis.
As part of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the commissioners encouraged residents, schools, employers, community organizations, healthcare providers, and faith groups to participate in educational and awareness activities throughout September.
The proclamation also reminds residents that immediate help is available through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The service provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling or texting 988. Veterans, service members, and their loved ones can access specialized assistance by calling 988 and pressing 1 or by texting 838255.
By recognizing Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, county leaders hope to reinforce a message of hope and support throughout the community: help is available, recovery is possible, and no one should have to face a crisis alone.
Grants and contracts
The commissioners approved:
Intermediate Punishment Grant application for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, for $95,000. This program is set up as a last chance for people before going to state prison, chief probation officer Nick Wolfkiel said. This grant towards officer salaries, electronic monitoring, drug tests and counseling. Part of this program is trying to keep them in the community (19:40) and using electronic monitoring to shorten their stints in jail.
Harris Local Government Software Maintenance Agreement for the Prothonotary's Office for 2027 at $2,058.17, and for tax claims for 2027 at $1,164.64.
2025 Homeland Security Grant for the South-Central Mountains Regional Counter Terrorism Task Force at $547,893.
Agreement with Penn State University for Shaver's Creek Environmental Center Team Development Program at $1,320.
Personnel
The commissioners approved:
Hiring of Alexis Shawver as part-time corrections officer, effective Sept. 8, 2026; and Addison Lane as field assessor, effective Sept. 14, 2026;
Resignation of Colton Flemming from part-time corrections officer, effective Aug. 27, 2026; and Michael Jones, from LPN, effective Sept. 4, 2026;
Transfer of Tracy Ferguson from deputy register and recorder to tax services clerk, effective Sept. 21, 2026.
Next meeting
The commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Mifflin County Courthouse in Lewistown.