Amid an alarming rise in mental illness and suicide in the Yampa Valley, the third annual Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide Night of Hope and Healing will raise awareness and much-needed funding for the organization’s mental health programs. 

The event will be at 6 p.m Saturday at Old Town Pub, 600 Lincoln Ave.

The evening will feature live music by Hans Williams, food, beverages and a silent auction in a “positive, supportive and inclusive setting.” Participants are encouraged to bring photographs of loved ones who have lost their lives to suicide for the “Honor Wall” as a commemoration and to reduce stigmas.

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The mission of REPS is “to preserve, protect and promote life by raising awareness and providing a lifeline of support and healing in our community.” The 501(c)(3) organization operates under a board of directors and works to accomplish its mission by providing suicide prevention and support programs in the area. 

Mindy Marriott, who has been the executive director of REPS for the last nine years, has overseen the growth of the organization in correlation with an ever-expanding need for the services and support that REPS offers, especially over the last year. 

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“These basic needs are what we as a community need to work together on because they are all a part of suicide prevention,” Marriott said. “We have several programs that we run in the community, but our most utilized is our confidential and complimentary counseling program.”

REPS’s approach to providing counseling services can expedite individuals gaining access to a mental health professional in times of need. Due to the fact there is no application or insurance paperwork, many of the roadblocks that would otherwise slow the process are eliminated or greatly reduced.

REPS is distinct in the fact that no other organization in Colorado offers free counseling to community members without some sort of application process, qualification or parameter. Marriott clarified that they do not solely focus on individuals who are at risk of suicide, but also those who are going through other traumatic or difficult life events as well.

“We work with people to meet them where they are at,” Marriott said. “We get them the support that they need right away.”

REPS has launched an “All In” Campaign, which is focused on addressing community mental health concerns, particularly within the area’s extensive service sector.

According to organization, instances of suicide in the Rocky Mountain West are higher than the national average, and the prevalence of suicide on the Western Slope is above the state average as well. 

The evening will feature the music of Hans Williams, with the accompaniment of several other New Orleans-based musicians. Williams discovered at a young age that performing was a mental health support for him, particularly after he acted as a first responder when a floormate in college took their life. 

For Williams, music became one component among many to support his mental health following the event. 

“I have had previous interactions with suicide because I am from a small area,” Williams said. “When someone takes their own life … especially in a small community, it’s the only thing that is on anyone’s mind.”

His song, “Body on My Shoulders,” which was released in 2020, is about the “guilt and weight” that he felt after the experience in college. The piece served as a reflection for Williams, as he thought about how he could have empathetically understood his floormate’s situation and acted differently to support him. 

The lyrics of the song led to people reaching out to Williams to share their own similar stories with him, which provided him with “understanding and validation” regarding how he felt. 

“I needed to have some sort of common understanding with people who had been through the same thing,” said Williams. “Me making music … is just trying to find some common ground of understanding.” 

Marriot said REPS is honored and grateful to feature Williams at the event.

“This opportunity is such a special gift to our community,” Marriott added. 

For more information on REPS, to purchase tickets or to donate, visit NWCOSuicidePrevention.com/.