Group raising awareness about suicide prevention in Brookings

BROOKINGS September is Suicide Prevention Awareness month, and on Sept. 8, caregivers and advocates from across the nation recognized 988 Day (9/8) to raise awareness about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Locally, the 988 Lifeline is a service of the South Dakota Division of Behavioral Health and administered locally by Helpline Center.

To mark 988 Day in South Dakota, 7-foot-tall 3D statues of the number 9, 8 and 8 were installed in Brookings, as well as in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Vermillion. Brookings residents can view the installation downtown at the intersection of Sixth Street and Main Avenue.

For more information about 988 and Helpline Center, visit sdbehavioralhealth.gov/988.