Support the Family Reading Partnership!

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The Sophie Fund’s 2026 Cupcake Button fundraiser is live! Each October, we coordinate with college student organizations to collect donations for local nonprofits focused on community well-being.

This year’s campaign is raising funds for the Family Reading Partnership, which connects families with young children to the joy of books and read-aloud experiences to expand their horizons and support their literacy journey. It strives to develop in all children a love of books and strong language skills before beginning school.

Bevi Wallenstein, Outreach Coordinator, and Amber Smith, Executive Director

The organization’s home base is The Nook in the Shops at Ithaca Mall. It operates several programs that together reach all families with children under age 5 in Tompkins County.

“We believe, and research confirms, that literacy skills begin growing before birth,” said Partnership Executive Director Amber Smith. “As with all early childhood development, literacy is best built through early and frequent interactions with responsive adults.”

Smith said that playful games of peek-a-boo and itsy-bitsy spider do more to grow the young brain than flash cards and memorizing the names of colors. “Reading together is an incredible tool for introducing vocabulary, growing a broad worldview, and bonding with a loving adult,” she explained.

DONATE TO THE FAMILY READING PARTNERSHIP

FRP provides families with quality children’s books free of charge to build their own home libraries, a tool for frequent interaction between young children and their caregivers in building literacy skills. The books are available at The Nook’s Bright Red Bookshelf as well as in dozens of other community locations within easy reach.

The Nook is a community hub of activity and resources where local families engage with their infants and toddlers and with each other. The tech-free space is designed to encourage imaginative play, physical development, and emotional regulation via exploration with toys, books, and art materials.

Parents can also take their kids on Story Walks through Tompkins County parks hosted by FRP.

The Partnership runs a weekly New Parent Support Group with a perinatal mental health specialist to build confidence and community, and to combat the common isolation and depression that many infant caregivers experience in the first year of a baby’s life.

The space hosts Early Intervention therapy sessions, which provides supports and services for infants and young children who have developmental delays or disabilities. The Nook is also a space for parents lacking custodial rights to spend time with their children in a supervised setting.

FRP was founded in the late 1990’s as a coalition of individuals and agencies who cared deeply about ensuring that all children in our community were exposed to books and read aloud to from the very beginning. Originally housed under the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) umbrella, FRP received nonprofit status in 2001 and has given away over half a million books to children over the last 25 years.

The Partnership is funded by hundreds of generous community members, corporate sponsors, and foundations such as the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, Triad Foundation, and the United Way of Tompkins County.

Volunteer with FRP: Fill out an online form here.

Donate Books to FRP: Go to: https://www.familyreading.org/get-involved/give-books/

For the Cupcake Button fundraising campaign, The Sophie Fund coordinates with college students to raise money through various in-person activities (and provide donors with Cupcake Buttons) on campus and in the community.

Community members may also contribute to the campaign directly through the Family Reading Partnership’s donation page here.

Since 2017 the Cupcake Button campaigns have raised about $9,000 for organizations including: Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service; Mental Health Association in Tompkins County; Advocacy Center of Tompkins County; Village at Ithaca; The Learning Web; National Alliance on Mental Illness–Finger Lakes; Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca; Ithaca Free Clinic; and Ithaca Welcomes Refugees.

This year’s Cupcake Button campaign is supported by many student organizations, including Cornell University’s Cornell Circle K, Pre-Professional Association Toward Careers in Health (PATCH), Alpha Phi Omega–Gamma Chapter, Realizing Integration, Support, and Support for Underserved Populations at Cornell (RISEUP), and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Donors receive a Cupcake Button featuring the image of a cupcake created by Sophie Hack MacLeod, a Cornell art student who died by suicide in 2016 for whom The Sophie Fund is named.

For more information about The Sophie Fund, go to: www.thesophiefund.org

Cornell University’s President Must Go

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The Sophie Fund wrote to the Cornell University Board of Trustees on October 1 demanding the removal of President Michael I. Kotlikoff and the appointment of a leader who will unequivocally embrace the need for immediate and robust zero-tolerance policies and practices toward terminating the rape culture at Cornell.

Statue of Ezra Cornell, founder of the university, on the Arts Quad of the Ithaca campus

The full text of the letter:

We write to demand the removal of Michael I. Kotlikoff from the Office of President of Cornell University for the university administration’s dereliction of duty in the matter of the gang rape of Cornell student “Jane Doe” in 2024.

It is common knowledge in the Ithaca and Cornell campus communities that Cornell University administrations have tolerated a rape culture for many years. This is amply demonstrated in regular surveys of Cornell students. The Cornell Surveys on Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct, which are required by New York State Education Law Article 129-B, show that overwhelming numbers of female students report having been sexually assaulted on campus. Yet successive Cornell administrations have shown palpable indifference to the rape culture to the point of complicity in it. This has brought shame to our dear Ithaca community and to Cornell itself.

As disappointed as we are by the failures of many individual Cornell officials in handling Jane Doe’s case, ultimately it is a system failure that demands systemic change. Replacing the top leader is the way to begin and signal that change.

Thus, we demand that Kotlikoff be replaced by a leader who will unequivocally embrace the need for and execute immediate and robust zero-tolerance policies and practices toward terminating the rape culture at Cornell.

Kotlikoff has lost our confidence and undoubtedly the confidence of many Ithaca citizens and Cornell students, staff, faculty, and alumni. We also call on that new leader to remove Kotlikoff’s leadership team and replace it with officials who will pursue systemic change at Cornell in all areas of student mental health, well-being, and safety.

The civil lawsuit filed by Jane Doe against Cornell University on September 14 provided ample evidence that she experienced gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity house on the Cornell campus and duly reported the horrific assault to the Cornell University Police Department. It is clear that the Cornell University Police Department failed to fully and properly investigate and seek prosecution and justice for felony crimes. It is clear that Cornell’s Title IX investigation failed to bring justice for Jane Doe and ensure her safety to remain on campus.

Today, The New York Times publishes stories here and here that raise serious questions about whether Cornell University administrators engaged in a coverup in the case of Jane Doe.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said in a statement that he declined to bring a prosecution in the Jane Doe case based on the statement from Jane Doe summarized and provided by the Cornell University Police Department.

Van Houten said: “Multiple prosecutors and criminal investigators reviewed Jane Doe’s statement and correctly determined the alleged facts as set forth in the statement do not constitute a crime. This decision was not because the case would have been difficult to prove in court—it was because the facts as set forth in the statement objectively prevent the filing of criminal charges.” [italics in original]

Now, The New York Times reports that the statement provided to the District Attorney “omitted some of the more forceful and definitive language she used. And it was missing her unequivocal statement that she had been raped.”

The “independent review” demanded by Governor Kathy Hochul must investigate why the Cornell University Police Department omitted such an important aspect of Jane Doe’s statement when submitting it to the Tompkins County District Attorney for considering charges.

We agree with the September 29, 2026 statement by Governor Hochul, who is also a Cornell University Board of Trustees Member:

“There are also serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting, and response. That is why I am calling for outside counsel to conduct a transparent, independent review of the university’s response to determine whether Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice.”

We also agree with Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo’s September 29, 2026 call for “an accounting of [Cornell’s] protocols to prevent and prosecute crimes of sexual violence and… new standards and practices to keep our community safe.”

We note Jane Doe’s lawsuit, which cited Cornell’s “failure to protect Plaintiff from a known danger; failure to have sufficient policies and procedures in place to prevent sex abuse and assault being committed by any of their students; failure to properly implement policies and procedures to prevent sex abuse and assault; failure to take reasonable measures to ensure that policies and procedures to prevent sex abuse and assault were working; failure [sic] to investigate risks of sexual assault; failure to properly train the employees at their facilities; failed [sic] to have any outside agency test their safety procedures; and failure to train its employees properly to identify signs of sexual abuse and sexual assault.”

We expect from experience that without new leadership the Cornell administration will pay lip service to reform but will fail to follow through on tangible change with transparency and accountability.

For example, The Sophie Fund this week reported on how it repeatedly “warned Cornell University administrators about the need for robust new policies to end the cycle of sexual assault on their campus.”

Nearly 10 years ago, as the parents of a Cornell student who died by suicide in Ithaca, we wrote an April 2017 letter to then-President Martha Pollack asking for a task force to review mental health and related issues such as sexual assault. We noted:

“[Cornell’s] failure to develop a policy and strategy that addresses the disturbing mental health-related problem of sexual violence against Cornell students and provides effective support for victims of sexual violence.”

—“A lack of institutional accountability for Cornell’s mental health policies, programs, and practices.”

—“An institutional mindset reflecting complacency and defensiveness that appears to prioritize Cornell’s public image over the welfare of students struggling with mental disorders.”

—“A system of accountability would include a zero-tolerance program with robust measures to fight against rape and sexual violence, and hazing, and equally robust legal and psychological support services for victims.”

—“31.6 percent—nearly 1 in 3—reported being victims of rape or sexual battery during their years in college; 9.8 percent of undergraduate female students participating in a recent campus climate survey reported having been the victims of rape or attempted rape since enrolling at Cornell.”

The Cornell Board of Trustees, nearly a decade later, must ask: Why does the university find itself defending a lawsuit, and why do alleged Cornell student perpetrators find themselves facing a new criminal investigation, brought on by a woman who in 2024 at the age of 20 reported being gang raped at a fraternity house on the Cornell campus to the Cornell University Police Department.

Enough is enough.

Latest on School Bullying in Tompkins County

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Tompkins County children are getting bullied at school, outside of school, and online. But the most recent survey of students, in 2025, showed a slight decrease in online bullying although bullying at school and outside school remained relatively constant.

More than a quarter of Tompkins County students grades 6-12 say they were bullied at school

However, the survey results show Tompkins County with a significantly higher prevalence of bullying compared to the national average.

According to the 2025 Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) survey of 3,952 students, 18.2 percent reported being bullied electronically compared to 20.4 percent in 2023.

More than a quarter of students in grades 6-12 said they were bullied at school, with the greatest prevalence occurring in middle school grades.

Overall, 27.9 percent of Tompkins students in the survey said they were bullied at school; 20.2 percent were bullied outside school; and 18.2 percent were bullied electronically.

Eighth graders reported the highest percentages, with 34.1 percent, 24.1 percent, and 19.6 percent saying they were bullied in those categories, respectively.

The 2025 results saw data similar to the 2023 results for bullying at school and outside school, when the figures were 27.7 percent and 20.8 percent, respectively.

In the national 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 19.7 percent of U.S. high school students reported being bullied at school and 14.6 percent bullied online. Those figures were lower than the high school figures in Tompkins County except for seniors bullied at school.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a good time to check out The Sophie Fund’s “Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families.” This is a new updated guide for the 2026-2027 school year with information about how bullying affects individuals and communities and what we can do to prevent it.

For schools, the guide contains resources for curricula, discussion plans, activity kits, infographics, videos, art projects, coloring books, role playing, pledge signing, clubs, Bullying Prevention Month activities, and special websites for teens and kids.

The Sophie Fund distributed the guide to all school leaders as well as Parent-Teacher Organizations/Associations in Tompkins County.

“The guide presents a brief overview of bullying and its impacts as well as national and local data illustrating the extent of the problem,” said Scott MacLeod, co-founder of The Sophie Fund.

“But the focus of the guide is on providing schools with resources with which to proactively prevent bullying. It lists resources that schools can use to organize bullying prevention activities year-round and especially for National Bullying Prevention Month in October.”

For parents and their children, the guide provides detailed information about how to file a complaint to school officials about bullying, harassment, or discrimination under the New York State Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).

The Dignity Act is set up so that everyone has a role in supporting a child when bullying occurs. Parents and family members should know that they are not alone, if they ever find themselves in this situation, and that the best thing they can do for their child is to work in partnership with their school Dignity Act Coordinator to address the issue and to improve their child’s experience.

DOWNLOAD Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The Sophie Fund encourages schools and youth-serving organizations to use the occasion to provide educational programming and activities designed to reduce (and hopefully eliminate) bullying behaviors.

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County Schools Dignity Act Coordinators

Bullying can have negative and even life-long impacts on both victims and aggressors. Bullying can have a negative long-term impact on mental health, substance use, and it even has links to suicide.

According to StopBullying.gov, kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

  • Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.
  • Health complaints.
  • Decreased academic achievement, school participation, and attendance.

Kids who bully others are more likely to:

  • Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults.
  • Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school.
  • Engage in early sexual activity.
  • Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults.
  • Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults.

DOWNLOAD Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families

Cornell’s Failure of Transparency and Accountability

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Beginning in 2017, The Sophie Fund repeatedly warned Cornell University administrators about the need for robust new policies to end the cycle of sexual assault on their campus. We pointed to Cornell’s own student survey statistics that amply demonstrated their failure to curb the school’s persistent prevalence of sexual violence.

Cornell University administration headquarters

On September 14, a former student sued Cornell, alleging that she was gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house on the Cornell campus in 2024. The lawsuit, which also seeks a jury trial for seven men accused of committing “heinous criminal sexual acts,” argues that Cornell breached its duty to protect her from foreseeable dangers. On September 28, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced he would reopen a criminal investigation into the allegations.

Specifically, the civil lawsuit accuses Cornell of:

“Failure to protect Plaintiff from a known danger; failure to have sufficient policies and procedures in place to prevent sex abuse and assault being committed by any of their students; failure to properly implement policies and procedures to prevent sex abuse and assault; failure to take reasonable measures to ensure that policies and procedures to prevent sex abuse and assault were working; failure to investigate risks of sexual assault; failure to properly train the employees at their facilities; failed [sic] to have any outside agency test their safety procedures; and failure to train its employees properly to identify signs of sexual abuse and sexual assault.”

The lawsuit’s narrative echoes the lack of transparency and failure of accountability that The Sophie Fund has witnessed in the Cornell administration’s handling of student mental health. 

The Sophie Fund strongly advocated for a task force to comprehensively review Cornell’s mental health policies and practices and make recommendations for improvement.

In an April 2017 letter asking then-President Martha Pollack to appoint a task force, we noted:

“[Cornell’s] failure to develop a policy and strategy that addresses the disturbing mental health-related problem of sexual violence against Cornell students and provides effective support for victims of sexual violence.”

—“A lack of institutional accountability for Cornell’s mental health policies, programs, and practices.”

—“An institutional mindset reflecting complacency and defensiveness that appears to prioritize Cornell’s public image over the welfare of students struggling with mental disorders.”

—“A system of accountability would include a zero-tolerance program with robust measures to fight against rape and sexual violence, and hazing, and equally robust legal and psychological support services for victims.”

—“31.6 percent—nearly 1 in 3—reported being victims of rape or sexual battery during their years in college; 9.8 percent of undergraduate female students participating in a recent campus climate survey reported having been the victims of rape or attempted rape since enrolling at Cornell.”

Pollack finally commissioned a Mental Health Review task force in 2018, and the task force issued its report with recommendations in 2020.

A year ago this week, The Sophie Fund published a blog post about current Cornell President Kotlikoff’s refusal of its request to inform the Cornell and Ithaca communities about the outcome of those recommendations. Kotlikoff was interim president at the time of the alleged gang rape in October 2024; Pollack had abruptly resigned her post effective June 30 of that year.

In a presentation to the Mental Health Review task force in 2019, The Sophie Fund urged:

“The review teams should consider recommendations aimed at forcefully ending the cycle of sexual assault and hazing violence in the Cornell community and ensuring the maximum mental health support for victims at risk of life-long psychological disorders as a result of their trauma.”

 In a 2020 presentation to the task force, The Sophie Fund called on Cornell leadership to “develop new and effective strategies to combat the serious problems of sexual assault and hazing within its student body.”

The presentation added:

“Research indicates that victims of sexual assault and hazing are at risk of life-long mental health problems. Data indicates that the prevalence of sexual assault and hazing at Cornell has reached levels that no civilized institution should accept. Past and present strategies have failed to eliminate or even reduce the problems. To allow these problems to continue without a robust and effective response is a serious abrogation of responsibility.”

Among some 130 recommendations, the Mental Health Review report encouraged the Cornell administration to continue what it endorsed to be the university’s unspecified “substantive reforms”—at the time—to address sexual assault and “usher in positive changes that will provide a safer environment for students.”

In The Sophie Fund’s post-report presentation in 2021 to the Cornell Executive Accountability Committee then charged with implementing recommendations but since disbanded, The Sophie Fund urged Cornell to:

“Introduce new zero-tolerance university regulations and implement robust new campus education and awareness programs with the publicly stated goal of terminating the stubborn normalization of sexual assault and hazing violence among Cornell students, in recognition that previous initiatives have failed to stem student sexual violence or end the destructive hazing culture; ensure that perpetrators of violence, intimidation, and criminal recklessness are held strictly accountable under university regulations, and ensure perpetrators are also held accountable under applicable local, state, and federal laws; mandate the vice president for Student & Campus Life to issue annual reports on steps addressing sexual assault and hazing violence, the results of those efforts, and identifying necessary further steps to be taken.”

In April 2025, after waiting for Cornell to honor its stated commitment to inform the Cornell and Ithaca communities about the implementation of the task force’s recommendations, we wrote to President Kotlikoff asking him to issue a report detailing the results of the implementation work.

We wrote: 

“Transparently fulfilling a commitment to hold itself accountable will enhance confidence and respect in how Cornell is supporting its students’ well-being and acting as a responsible and valued part of the greater community.”

Kotlikoff rejected our request, arguing that the Cornell administration had moved on from the 2020 recommendations in favor of a “Health Promoting Campus initiative.”

* * * * *

On September 24, The Sophie Fund requested information on the Chi Phi gang rape investigation from relevant campus and community authorities. Here are our questions and their responses.

Kyle Kimball, Cornell University Vice President for Community Relations (No response to The Sophie Fund as of September 29; Kimball issued a statement on September 21 and a statement on September 28)

1. What is Cornell’s response to the allegations contained in the lawsuit?

2. After “Jane Doe” reported the gang rape to the Cornell University Police Department on or about November 8, 2024, what actions has Cornell taken from November 8, 2024 to date in response to her allegations, specifically:

2a. To investigate the allegations?

2b. To address the alleged perpetrators and their alleged actions?

2c. To address the alleged behavior of the Xi Chapter of Chi Phi Fraternity?

3. What is the current status and/or outcome of Cornell’s actions related to the above 2a, 2b, and 2c questions?

4. Can you provide the number of sexual violence incidents reported to Cornell authorities in the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026?

5. Does Cornell assure Cornell students that actions such as alleged in the gang rape lawsuit will not occur in the future?

6. What steps has Cornell taken in the aftermath of the alleged gang rape at the Xi Chapter of Chi Phi Fraternity to ensure that sexual violence include rape will no longer occur at Cornell?

Eric Stickel, Chief of the Cornell University Police Department (No response to The Sophie Fund as of September 29)

1. What steps has the Cornell Police Department taken to investigate the alleged gang rape reported by a Cornell undergraduate student to the Cornell University Police Department on or about November 8, 2024?

2. What is the current status and/or outcome of any steps the Cornell Police Department has taken to investigate the alleged gang rape?

3. Can you provide the number of sexual violence incidents reported to the Cornell Police Department in the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026?

Katie King, Assistant Vice President, Cornell Office of Civil Rights (No response to The Sophie Fund as of September 29)

1. What were the findings of the Office of Civil Rights’ investigation?

2. What conclusions or recommendations did the Office of Civil Rights make based on its investigation?

3. What actions were taken by the university in response to the investigation by the Office of Civil Rights?

4. Why has the Formal Complaints page of the Office of Civil Rights not been updated for the 2024-2025 or 2025-2026 academic years when the outcome of this case would have been recorded?

Thomas J. Kelly, Chief of Ithaca Police Department (No response to The Sophie Fund as of September 29; IPD issued a statement on Facebook on September 28)

1. Was the alleged gang rape reported to the Ithaca Police Department; and if so, when, and by whom?

2. What specific steps if any has the Ithaca Police Department taken to investigate the alleged gang rape?

3. What is the current status and/or outcome of any steps the Ithaca Police Department has taken to investigate the alleged gang rape?

4. Can you provide the number of sexual violence incidents involving Cornell University students reported directly to the Ithaca Police Department in the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026?

Matthew Van Houten, Tompkins County District Attorney (Van Houten provided a statement on September 28)

1. It is reported in the media that the “Tompkins County District Attorney said his office ‘conducted a thorough review of the police investigation,’ but ‘there was insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.’ Is this statement attributed to the District Attorney correct?

2. The new civil lawsuit contains a significant amount of detail regarding the alleged gang rape—including the names of the alleged perpetrators and their specific alleged acts, and a screenshot of a text message inviting fraternity members to join the alleged sexual assault. If it is correct that the District Attorney reviewed the Ithaca Police Department’s investigation, can you explain what was lacking in its available evidence that prompted the District Attorney’s decision not to bring criminal charges against any of the defendants identified in the new civil lawsuit? Put another way, what evidence from the investigating police department would be required for the District Attorney to bring charges following the alleged victim’s sexual assault police report?

3. The lawsuit also states that “the matter is also still being investigated by the Ithaca Police Department.” If this is correct, and in light of the details of the alleged rape contained in the new lawsuit, has or will the District Attorney’s office reopen its review of the matter?

—By Scott MacLeod and Susan Hack

Scott MacLeod and Susan Hack are co-founders of The Sophie Fund, established in memory of their daughter Sophie, who died by suicide in Ithaca in 2016 during a health leave of absence from Cornell.

Ithaca Hosts State’s Suicide Prevention Conference

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New York State’s annual suicide prevention conference will take place this year in Ithaca, next week at the Ithaca Conference Center: “Rooted in Action: Innovative Approaches for Rural Suicide Prevention.”

The conference is hosted by the Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center of New York (SPCNY) on September 29-30. Due to strong demand the conference is at capacity with hundreds of attendees and registration is closed.

Besides being the venue for the event, Ithaca features prominently in the program.

An entire panel will discuss Tompkins County’s steps toward strengthening its suicide prevention practices: “Implementing the Zero Suicide Model: the Tompkins County Experience.” Zero Suicide is a framework of systematic screening, assessment, and specialized treatment used by healthcare providers to prevent suicide deaths among their patients.

The panelists include:

Andreia deLima, Chief Medical Officer, Cayuga Health/Centralus Health

Laura Sidari, Program Director and Consulting Psychiatrist, Cayuga Integrated Behavioral Health, Cayuga Health

Tiffany Bloss, Executive Director, Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County

Harmony Ayers-Friedlander, Deputy Commissioner of Mental Health Services, Tompkins County Whole Health

The panel will be moderated by SPCNY Director Jay Carruthers.

Laura Sidari will also participate in a panel called “Collaborative Care: Integrating Behavioral Health into Primary Care.” She will be joined by Amy L. Jones-Renaud, Director, Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration, Office of Mental Health.

Tiffany Bloss will also speak at a panel titled “LOSS Teams: Support for Recently Bereaved Suicide Survivors.”

The conference features 18 breakout sessions in addition to several plenary sessions. Among the topics covered are suicide prevention programming in rural schools, the role of faith leaders, firearms safety, and engaging rural veterans in mental health services.

The conference keynote address will be given by Vernon E. Davis II, an army veteran and comedian who has experienced suicidal thoughts.

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County Suicide Prevention

“Tompkins County is honored and excited to welcome colleagues from across New York State to the 2026 New York State Suicide Prevention Conference. As a rural county, we are eager to learn from one another, share innovative approaches, and build on the important work happening in communities across our state,” said Deputy Commissioner of Mental Health Services Harmony Ayers-Friedlander.

“We are proud to share the strategies we have developed locally through the Tompkins County Suicide Prevention Coalition, including our coordinated implementation of the Zero Suicide Model across the healthcare system, spanning higher education, primary care, and mental health treatment services.

“We have also made supporting first responders and creating more trauma-informed approaches to crisis response a community priority through our Crisis Alternative Response and Engagement Team, or CARE, co-response model, bringing mental health and law enforcement together, as well as the City of Ithaca’s new Responders Offering Outreach, Trust and Support, or ROOTS, unarmed responder program.

“Tompkins County is also home to a regional 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call center at Suicide Prevention & Crisis Services, providing a range of support through its hotline, warm line, and text services.

“Together, these efforts reflect what is possible when a community comes together with compassion, collaboration, and a shared commitment to saving lives. We have made meaningful progress, and there is still more work ahead.”