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Written by Brian Austin on . Posted in Primary.

Autism Awareness Walk

Still time to Participate! Get Involved!

Vendor & Sponsor Registration Now Closed

Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster, NY. 

About the Autism Awareness Walk

Join us for the Autism Awareness Walk on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster, NY. This inclusive event is open to participants of all ages and abilities, aiming to promote autism awareness and support. Enjoy a walk, sensory-friendly activities, community resources, and delicious food from local vendors. Come together with families, friends, and community members to raise awareness and support individuals with autism.

In case of rain, the event will be held on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at the same time.

Why a Walk for Autism

1 in 36 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder while 1 in 45 adults also have autism.  Autism is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. This event strives to promote awareness and to support those diagnosed with Autism, providing them a day of activities and information to promote community connection.

BE AN EVENT PARTICIPANT

As an Autism Walk participant, you can expect a day filled with activities and information for those with autism. There will be an outdoor walk and activities. Bathrooms will be located throughout the event for ease of access and transportation will be available between various locations. This will be a family and community friendly event created to build relationships for individuals with autism.

REGISTER HERE

BE A VENDOR

As a vendor, you can expect to have a day filled with engagement from the community in support of those with autism. You will want to bring resources and activities along with information about your organization, service, or specialty. You can register as a vendor as a service organization or for other services such as foods and goods.

PLEASE BE SURE TO FILL OUT THESE
FORMS UPON REGISTERING AS A VENDOR AND EMAIL TO:

Dana Touponse- Putnam County Office for Individuals with Disabilities

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

OR inquire about submitting in person.

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED FOR VENDORS

BE A SPONSOR

As a sponsor, you can expect to receive promotional opportunities to showcase your brand at the event. Your sponsorship will reach a large variety of individuals within the community while providing valuable exposure through event signage, social media promotion, and media coverage. Through sponsorship, you will show your commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility within the community.

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED FOR SPONSORS

GET INVOLVED & SIGN UP!

Join us for a heartwarming and action-packed Autism Walk event, where participants can enjoy a variety of activities and resources designed to support individuals with autism. Whether you're walking, vending, or sponsoring, there's a role for everyone. Participants will experience an outdoor walk with family-friendly activities, while vendors can engage the community by sharing information and resources about their services. Sponsors will benefit from promotional opportunities, reaching a broad audience through event signage, social media, and media coverage. This inclusive event is the perfect opportunity to show your support and commitment to our local autism community. Sign up now as a participant, vendor, sponsor, or any combination and be part of a day dedicated to fostering connections and raising awareness. We can't wait to see you there!

REGISTER TODAY!

In Partnership with 

PUTNAM COUNTY CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE 845.808.1000

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Youth Forum

JOIN US FRIDAY APRIL 25, 2025 - 8:00 A.M. to 1:30 PM

31ST ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY YOUTH FORUM

WORKSHOPS FOR TEENS, BY TEENS!

Workshops for Teens…by Teens!

At Green Chimney’s Clearpool Outdoor Education Campus ~ Carmel, NY

Workshops Include...

  • Crochet 101
  • Preparing for college
  • The law & You
  • Self-Defense
  • Carer Paths Panel
  • Let's Hit the Road
  • Mindful art 
    and Many more!

Brought to you by the Putnam County Youth Bureau and NYS Office of Children & Family Services

As a Patron

Expect a day where the community comes together to support our future young business leaders. Bring your family and friends. engage with the youth who are vending. enjoy food and different creatives that they are showcasing while enjoying beautiful tilly foster farm. This is a safe space for all to enjoy.

As a Vendor

Expect to have a day of high engagement from the community in support of your youths creatives. using your imagination you will to build an interactive showcase for all to enjoy. Many will come and visit your table. Expect to talk with patrons as they visit so that they can enjoy what you have to offer as well as leave with a smile.

Please remember to keep our farm clean and be respectful to everyone.

Register for the Youth Business Market!

Registration is OPEN!

Until then, thinking of an amazing small business that your youth would love. The idea is to encourage creative, out of the box thinking to showcase a talent or service for everyone to enjoy. 

This is a family & community-friendly event for us to build strong bonds and educate our future business leaders. Feel free to share with friends and colleagues.

PUTNAM COUNTY CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE 845.808.1600

In Partnership with 

Putnam County Government

Putnam County Youth Bureau

Putnam Child Advocacy Center (C.A.C.)

PROMENADE ON 6

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Project Hope - CRISIS INTERVENTION

DIAL 9.8.8. IF YOU NEED TO TALK.

THE 988 LIFELINE IS HERE.

BACK TO HOPE HOME

CRISIS INTERVENTION

The Putnam County Crisis Intevention Hotline in New York is 845.225.1222. You can call or text this
number 24/7

You can also call or text these other crisis lines for help in Putnam County

  • Sucicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988 (24/7)
  • Veterans' Crisis Line: Call or Text 998, then press 1, or text 838255
  • Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741 or chat online at www.crisistexttline.org

When someone is in crisis, every minute counts. Putting time and distance between a person who is actively thinking about suicide, and any form of lethal means SAVES LIVES!

Firearms are the most lethal among suicide methods. Also of concern are medications that are lethal at high doses.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Here are some of the reasons why reducing access to lethal means is important:

  • Many suicide attempts take place during a short-term crisis, so it is important to consider a person’s access to lethal means during these periods of increased risk.
  • Access to lethal means is a risk factor for suicide.
  • Reducing access to lethal means saves lives.

WHAT YOU
CAN DO

Families, organizations, health care providers, and policymakers can take many actions to reduce access to lethal means of self-harm. Some of these are general household health and safety precautions that should be used regardless of suicide risk. Examples include limiting access to medications and storing firearms safely when not in use.

Other actions may be more appropriate when a person is at risk for suicide. If someone in the home is feeling suicidal, has recently attempted suicide, or is experiencing a crisis, it is safest to remove lethal means from the household entirely until the situation improves.

For example:

  • Store firearms with law enforcement (if allowed), or lock up firearms and put the key in a safe deposit box or give the key to a friend until the crisis has passed.
  • Ask a family member to store medications safely and dispense safe quantities as necessary.

Some communities also focus means restriction efforts on local suicide “hotspots,” such as bridges. As part of strategic planning, states, tribes, and communities should examine their data to identify what suicide means they should address

Families, organizations, health care providers, and policymakers can take many actions to reduce access to lethal means of self-harm.

TAKE
ACTION

Obtain and share knowledge about the issue and how others can help.

  • Learn more about this topic by visiting the Means Matter website, maintained by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
  • Educate family members and others about ways to limit access to lethal means during a suicidal crisis.
  • Train mental health professionals in lethal means counseling. (See the free online course Counseling on Access to Lethal Means.)
  • Train nontraditional providers in lethal means counseling, for example, divorce and defense attorneys, probation/parole officers, and first responders.
  • Educate the community about options for temporary storage of a firearm outside of the home during a suicidal crisis.

Collaborate with others in your community to increase safety.

  • Institute lethal means counseling policies in health and behavioral health care settings and train health care providers in these settings.
  • Pass policies that exempt at-risk patients from mandatory 90-day refill policies.
  • Work collaboratively with gun retailers and gun owner groups on suicide prevention efforts. (See Gun Shop Project for examples of materials developed with and for firearms retailers and range owners.)
  • Distribute free or low-cost gun locks or gun safes.
  • Ensure that bridges and high buildings have protective barriers.

PUTNAM COUNTY CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE 845.808.1000

In Partnership with 

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Project Hope - COPING AFTER A LOSS TO SUICIDE

DIAL 9.8.8. IF YOU NEED TO TALK.

THE 988 LIFELINE IS HERE.

BACK TO HOPE HOME

COPING AFTER
A LOSS TO SUICIDE

LOSS TEAM

On behalf of the Putnam County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team, a program of the Putnam County Department of Mental Health, please accept our deepest condolences for the loss of your loved one. We recognize the immense pain and grief that comes with such a loss, and we want you to know that you are not alone during this incredibly difficult time. 

Here you will find a link to a packet of resources designed to offer support, understanding, and connection as you navigate the journey of healing. This resource is a part of our postvention efforts and is specifically designed for those impacted by suicide loss.
The materials include information about the Survivor Outreach Program through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and a directory of local resources, such as the crisis hotline, funeral homes, and other support services available in our community.

Additionally, our LOSS Team is here to support you. Members of the LOSS Team include volunteers who have also experienced a loss to suicide and can listen, empathize, and provide reassurance that you do not have to face this journey alone. If a member of our LOSS team did not provide you with this folder, please contact us so we can ensure that our team is available to you. We are here to support you in any way we can. Please do not hesitate to reach out 845.808.1410 if you have questions or if there is something we can do to assist you. Our goal is to provide comfort and resources to help you find hope and healing. Remember, you are not alone.

With heartfelt sympathy,
The Putnam County LOSS Team

FUNERAL HOMES

AFTER DEATH CLEAN UP LIST

PUTNAM COUNTY CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE 845.808.1000

In Partnership with 

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Project Hope - GET INVOLVED

DIAL 9.8.8. IF YOU NEED TO TALK.

THE 988 LIFELINE IS HERE.

BACK TO HOPE HOME

GET
INVOLVED

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

  • Task Force meetings

    The Putnam County Suicide Prevention Task Force is a coalition composed of dedicated volunteers working to combat suicide in the community.  Members represent a diverse group of professionals including those from mental health and chemical dependency organizations, county departments (such as health, mental health, the Veterans Service Agency, and the Youth Bureau), schools, law enforcement, the coroner's office, clergy, and individuals personally affected by suicide.  Together, they strive to foster collaboration and implement meaningful change.

    The task force meets quarterly.  Please email Marla Behler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with "SPTF member sign up" in the subject line to join our e-distro list or for the date/time of our next meeting.  Everyone is welcome!

  • Garden of remembrance

    The Nicole Ettere Memorial Gardens Foundation, Inc. (NEMGF) is dedicated to supporting suicide survivors, those who are left behind struggling to deal and cope with these heartbreaking tragedies of suicide.  It is the Foundation’s goal to create memorial Gardens of Remembrance so that survivors may have a place to go to remember their loved ones who have ended their lives by suicide.  These gardens will be a place to reflect and keep the memory of their loved ones alive.  It is also the Foundation’s goal to increase suicide awareness among the general public to bring about change, help reduce the stigma, and break the silence associated with suicide. 

    The Garden of Remembrance is located at 110 Old Route Six, Carmel, NY.  It was created after Roy and Lucille Ettere lost their daughter, Nicole, by suicide.  They wanted to support other suicide loss survivors by giving them a place to honor their loved ones.  This Garden was dedicated in 2021.  A second garden is planned this year on the Putnam Trailway behind Cove Care.

     

    Contact and email:  Roy Ettere, 914-469-7307, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    For Putnam County residents, the family may request their loved one to be included on the bronze plaque (we usually place a "click here to add your loved one's name"  button on our emails and embed this form for their use: CLICK HERE

    Here is the link for survivors to include a memorial tribute of their loved one on the website: CLICK HERE

  • Out of the Darkness Walk

    Join Us Today! 

    The Community Walks, held in hundreds of cities across the country, are the core of the Out of the Darkness movement, which began in 2004. These events give people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause, and a platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health. Friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers walk side-by-side, supporting each other and in memory of those we’ve lost.
    Now, more than ever, it’s important to be there for one another and take steps to safeguard our mental health and prevent suicide.

    Register today and be part of the movement to walk #OutOftheDarkness.

    Find an event

    The Putnam Out of the Darkness Walk is scheduled for Sunday, September 28th

  • LOSS Team Volunteer

    Putnam County recently received a grant from the NYS Office of Mental Health, in partnership with the Suicide Prevention Center of New York to develop a LOSS Team (Local Outreach to Survivors of Suicide).  Losing someone to suicide is a deeply personal and challenging experience.  Statistics show that those impacted by a loss to suicide are at greater risk for suicide themselves and many may not reach out for help for years. Our goal is to change that!

    Stigma around suicide often makes people afraid to say or do the wrong thing so often times, they do nothing at all. LOSS Teams connect survivors of suicide loss with trained peer supporters—people who have experienced a similar loss and truly understand the journey. These teams provide comfort, understanding, and resources at one of the most difficult times in someone’s life.

    LOSS Teams were developed to have ‘peers’, other survivors of suicide, trained to provide support which is recognized nationally as a best practice.  While others can be sympathetic, only those impacted by suicide loss themselves can truly know what that experience feels like.

    In an effort to develop our LOSS team in Putnam, we are seeking survivors of suicide to provide emotional support and resources to those impacted by that suicide.  All Putnam LOSS team volunteers will receive training through the local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), through their Healing Conversations Program.  Putnam County has faced the heartbreaking reality of suicide.  On average, we lose approximately 14 lives each year.

    To apply to be a Westchester/Hudson Valley AFSP Volunteer who would serve in Putnam County, please click on this link to apply:

    https://afsp.wufoo.com/forms/s1fu59op1tule8n/

    If you have any questions or would like to get involved in another capacity, please contact us:

    Marla Behler, LOSS Team Coordinator and Suicide Prevention Task Force Co-Chair

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    845-808-1400, ext. 11140

    Megan Castellano, LOSS Team Coordinator and Suicide Prevention Task Force Co-Chair

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    845-519-3522

  • Putnam PALS

    PUTNAM PALS: Our Volunteer Outreach Program (PUTNAM PALS) is designed to bring joy, companionship, and meaningful connections to the lives of older adults. Each older adult is carefully paired with a compassionate, trustworthy, and fully screened volunteer to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Once matched, they can engage in enriching conversations, play games, watch TV shows together, and more. This program fosters social connections, combats loneliness, and enhances the well-being of older adults, making a profound impact on their lives.

    Click here to learn more about the program, how to volunteer as a companion, or how to participate as an older adult. (LINK COMING SOON)

  • Compassion Rock Garden

    The Compassion Rock Gardens initiative is a community-driven effort in Putnam County to spread kindness, resilience, and support through painted rocks with inspirational messages. Plans are underway to establish the first garden in Spring 2025, serving as a place of solace and connection. We hope to expand to additional locations throughout the county. Community members can get involved by painting and placing rocks, hosting or attending rock painting events, or simply visiting the gardens for encouragement. Stay tuned for information on our ribbon-cutting event, where we will proudly present the first location! Join us in creating a more compassionate and uplifting environment. Click here to learn more and get involved. (LINK COMING SOON)

PUTNAM COUNTY CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE 845.808.1000

In Partnership with 

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