Spotlight: MT 988

Airs May 5 at 10:30am

For years, Montana has ranked number three in suicides per capita in the U.S.  Many people are working to raise awareness around this complex and pressing issue.  One of those groups is Montana 988, an organization that works with student artists to bring awareness to the issue through various projects and fundraisers.  Recently, Montana 988 worked with the veteran community at Montana State University to create challenge coins that now hang in the Veteran’s Center on campus. Challenge coins are commonly given to soldiers to honor work done in the service to our nation.  These particular challenge coins were created to honor the constant struggle against suicide faced by many of our veterans. Nationally, around twenty-two veterans die by suicide each day.  In Montana, roughly ten percent of the population are veterans.  In Spotlight: MT 988, we’ll visit with the Montana 988 organizers, the veterans, and the students themselves, as well as a chance to hear about the warning signs and circumstances common to self-harm ideation.  We’ll also learn about ways that Montanans of all backgrounds are coming together to combat the suicide epidemic.