*By Carlo Versano* When Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services opens its new, state-of-the-art suicide prevention center in Los Angeles, a literal sign of progress will hang boldly ー stating exactly what the institution is, a watershed moment in suicide awareness. "To be able to be that open about it shows me how far we've come," said Melissa Rivers, the entertainer and activist who recently joined the board of Didi Hirsch. Despite reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S. ー 47,000 people will kill themselves this year ー suicide still has a stigma attached to it, Rivers said. She lost her father to suicide in 1987 ー "at that time, the stigma was still crazy." For decades, awareness about suicide, and the resources available to help suicidal people cope, lagged in the public consciousness even as overall mental health awareness rose. That has been especially true among teens, who have the highest risk of suicide. (Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for 10-35 year-olds in the U.S.). Rivers said the work being done by institutions like Didi Hirsch is instrumental in wiping out the sense of shame that prevents people from getting help ー and it's why she devotes so much time speaking out about her own experience of losing a family member to suicide. The new Didi Hirsch facility will provide support and resources not just to those at-risk individuals, but also to those who are grieving a friend or family member's suicide. The double-whammy in 2018 of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain's suicides coming so close together "shoved the conversation forward," Rivers said ー one positive result born out of two tragic events. "It's our job now to keep that ball rolling." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/melissa-rivers-talks-hollywoods-role-in-suicide-prevention-awareness).
