YOUNGSTOWN — ONE Health Ohio and the Butterflies and Hope Memorial Foundation is presenting a $10,000 donation today to Alta Care Group in support of its Linkages Program and its commitment to educate children on depression and suicide.

The presentation is 2 p.m. at Alta at 711 Belmont Ave.

The suicide rate in the U.S. rose 24 percent from 2007 to 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among people ages 10 to 24 years old, it jumped 56 percent. Butterflies and Hope Memorial Foundation and ONE Health Ohio recognize the importance of early detection, identification and intervention with suicide related issues.

Both groups want to support and help expand Alta’s work with suicide screening programs through local schools with the $10,000 gift.

Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s Linkages Program provides an educational and interactive program teaching Mahoning County middle and high school students the signs and symptoms of depression.

“I would love to be able to completely stamp out all suicides and thus avoid the incredible devastation suffered by those left behind, but, if we can simply help identify just one more child and one more family to avoid devastating loss and grief through this gift then every penny was worth it,” said Dr. Ronald Dwinnells, CEO of ONE Health Ohio and founder / president of Butterflies and Hope.

The award will allow Alta to serve up to four additional schools in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, Alta CEO Joe Shorokey said. “In doing so, the Linkages Program will potentially extend its reach for depression and suicide education to potentially 700 more students and suicide screenings for up to 100 more students.”

Alta provides behavioral and emotional healthcare to the children and families throughout the Valley. ONE Health Ohio, established in 1986, operates an integrated healthcare delivery program in three northeast Ohio counties and provides services to more than 80,000 patient visits per year.

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