White men who own guns and work in the fields of construction, hospitality, mining, and oil and gas are more likely to take their lives by suicide in El Paso County than any other demographic, according to statistics from the coroner’s office.

Males made up three-fourths of the county’s 189 deaths by suicide in 2023, and 119 — or 63% — used a firearm, the most lethal means of a suicide attempt, the most recent data shows.

That’s why there’s a movement to get small- and micro-business owners on board with a new suicide prevention program.

“We want to create more awareness and resources and have this as a culture in the business community,” said Nicole Johnston, suicide prevention project manager for ChangeLine, formerly Pikes Peak Community Health Partnership.

The new program, called Pikes Peak Rising Business Collective, grew out of a “Workplace Wellbeing Summit” held last August in Colorado Springs.

With organizers that include the Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Collaborative, ChangeLine Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s office and the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, the program now provides free suicide prevention training, peer support and materials from the statewide 988 Colorado Mental Health Line.

The hotline, which is a program of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and answered by local professionals, fields questions about and assistance with mental health, including suicidality.

In Colorado, the hotline averages 8,906 calls in a 30-day period, with the top three concerns being 30% regarding social problems, 22% involving anxiety and 12% of callers indicating a potential for self-harm or suicide.

“Response has been so incredibly positive,” said Johnston of the Pikes Peak Rising Business Collective. “The small business community, especially those who might have just a few employees, really want to do something, but they don’t have the infrastructure and human resources.”

About 30 small business owners have signed on to the idea that they can make a difference, she said, with more being recruited.

Business owners and managers are being asked to pledge to do just one thing that might be beneficial to the mental health of all employees, such as displaying an informational 988 assistance line sign in a breakroom at work or on social media, or hosting an employee training session about mental wellness.

Colorado Springs City Councilor David Leinweber said he has been involved with the new campaign because of personal experience.

Seven years ago, two fly-fishing guides he employed at the business he owns, Angler’s Covey, committed suicide over the course of one year.

“Small businesses are often like family and it left me with a lot of unknowns, wondering if I could do more to create a safer environment, be of more support to employees and learn how to recognize the signs,” he said.

Leinweber, who employs 16 full-time staff and 30 part-time guides, said he didn’t find much assistance at the time, which is why he decided to run for City Council in April 2023 and has championed suicide prevention since winning the seat, through Mobolade’s community-wide mental health initiative.

Leinweber has a testimonial about the value of business owners paying attention to employees’ mental health.

Four years ago, a third fishing guide at Angler’s Covey showed signs of spiraling downward.

“We were suspicious and started asking the right questions, and one night when he’d drank a fair amount he called and said, ‘I’m thinking of committing suicide.’ We were able to talk him through and prevent that, and now he’s doing quite well,” Leinweber said.

“There are simple things employers can do, being more aware of people, elevating the water cooler talk, touching base with employees to find out what’s going on.”

The emphasis of the workplace initiative goes beyond suicide prevention, said Jonathan Liebert, CEO and executive director of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado and a member of the collaborative.

“With the amount of burnout, anxiety and other issues we’re seeing, we want to make sure we’re protecting citizens and folks from a small-business perspective,” he said. “We’re trying to get ahead of it, by reducing stigma, encouraging open discussion about mental health and implementing supportive workplace strategies, to create a healthier, more supportive work environment and a strong, more resilient community.”

While El Paso County’s suicide rates have remained flat in recent years, at a time when deaths have increased nationwide, the push for a significant local reduction hasn’t been realized, Johnston said.

“We think businesses is really a way we can channel suicide prevention efforts to reduce that,” she said. “This is a group of businesses in it for the long haul, doing something every month to elevate actionable ways to work together.”

Another local offering enables large businesses to take a 12-month, culture-changing H.O.P.E. Certification, which was developed by members of the National Workplace Prevention and Postvention Committee.

For more information on all programs, go to https://spcollab.org/business-collective.

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