BELLEFONTE — Centre County Commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 25 adopted two proclamations to raise awareness for substance use disorder awareness, addiction recovery, and suicide prevention in Centre County.
Overdose Awareness Day and National Recovery Month
Commissioners proclaimed Aug. 31 as Overdose Awareness Day, and September 2026 was proclaimed to be National Recovery Month in Centre County.
Overdose remains one of the leadings causes of accidental deaths. In Pennsylvania alone, a person succumbs to overdose every two to three hours. Substance use disorder and overdose cut across all socio-economic groups, geographies, and age ranges, affecting roughly 23 million adults nationwide.
Commissioners reiterated the county’s commitment to and efficacy in educating the community about substance use disorders as well as treatment and recovery services.
“We have one of the lowest overdose rates in the country,” Commissioner Dershem shared, “and that’s not by accident. It’s a lot of hard work from folks in our community, folks in and out of county government, and nonprofits who have been effective in getting the word out about treatment and recovery.”
The main takeaway from this proclamation for people struggling with substance use is “recovery is possible!”
Resources are available to the public through the County’s Drug and Alcohol department (814-355-6744). Penn State students can seek additional services through the University’s Overdose, Recovery, Suicide Prevention, and Child Advocacy Student Affairs Office, such as Health Promotion and Wellness services related to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Education courses (814-863-0461) the Collegiate Recovery Community (814-863-0140) for supporting students’ ongoing recovery.
Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month and Day
Commissioners also issued a proclamation establishing September 2026 as Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month and Sept. 10 as Suicide Awareness and Prevention Day in the county. Marisa Vicere, President and Founder of the Jana Marie Foundation, joined the commissioners to discuss the proclamation and related community events.
Suicide continues to be a public health concern. In Pennsylvania, a person dies by suicide approximately every five hours, consistently ranking as one of the leading causes of deaths for people aged 15 to 34.
Commissioners and Vicere emphasized the value of each member of the Centre County community. The group also encouraged people to talk openly about stress and mental health, because this allows for more trust to be bult, barriers to care to be mitigated, and allows for early intervention.
There is no single cause or solution to suicide, voicing support for prevention efforts, increasing access to support, and rallying to the community are incredibly effective. To that end, the community is invited to the following:
- Suicide Prevention Rally — Sept. 8 at 12 p.m.; Community Services Building, 502 E. Howard St., Bellefonte
- An Evening of Hope, Healing, and Remembrance — Sept. 10 at 5:30 to 8 p.m.; Centre LifeLink Building,125 Puddintown Road, State College
Resources are available to the public through the County’s Mental Health department (814- 355-6782). Penn State students can seek additional services through the University’s Studen Affairs Office (https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health-wellbeing/mental-health services).
Children Advocacy Center Letter of Support
Commissioners approved a letter of support for Mount Nittany Medical Center’s Children Advocacy Cente to apply for grant funding. The application is submitted annually, and the funds support the CAC’s operating costs.
CAC provides services to the County’s Children and Youth Services, most notably forensic interviewing and medical examinations. This letter of support speaks to the strong, positive working relationship between CYS and the CAC.
Overdose, Recovery, Suicide Prevention, and Child Advocacy
Each of the commissioners spoke to the importance of the CAC in supporting children and youth through difficult conversations and examinations surrounding reports of abuse.
Thanks to the CAC, CYS can provide expedient, thorough, and thoughtful care to the children of Centre County.
