SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Out of Darkness Community Walk is happening Saturday in Sacramento to bring awareness to suicide prevention.
A woman taking part in the walk is sharing her story of loss and her struggles with mental health. Jolene Prosser-Tift is a suicide prevention advocate.
“Are you suicidal? That's a question people should be asking but don't. They're not comfortable," she said.
Prosser-Tift was 16 when her father died. She didn’t know how to process his death.
“My father, in 1990, I was a sophomore in high school. He took his own life," she said.
She's lost six people to suicide, including her high school friend Chet Jarboe. At the time, his death only exacerbated the pain of losing her father.
“He was a sophomore in high school. He was nine days after my father and so that was incredibly painful," she said.
Prosser-Tift has spent her life trying to figure out what causes suicide and how to prevent it. She has a successful career in finance and has made it her life’s work to help people and save lives.
“Finding treatment isn't easy. As we know, there's not a lot of beds available, mental health services have been cut. There's just not enough out there. We need to have programs. We need to have policies in place to help people," she said.
Prosser-Tift admits she struggles with her own mental health. She says she’s alive today because of what she’s been through and her work to prevent it.
“Because I’ve lost so many people, I’ve made it very clear to my family and friends that I do have mental health struggles. A lot of people do," she said.
On the 25th anniversary of her father’s death, Prosser-Tift and her young daughter attended their first American Foundation for Suicide Prevention walk.
“You'd see a lot of people with pictures of their loved ones who have passed and you just know you're not alone," she said.
It’s a day for supporting one another and reaffirming ‘It’s ok to not be ok.’
The walk Prosser-Tift is talking about is called Out of Darkness Community Walk. It's happening Saturday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m. at the west steps of the Capitol. ABC10 will have a team walking.
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