The Oakton-based nonprofit that runs Northern Virginia’s suicide and crisis hotline is now offering mental health services specifically geared toward young, LGBTQ people.
PRS announced yesterday (Thursday) that it’s hiring 40 new crisis workers who have specialized training and experience to handle calls and texts from LGBTQ individuals who are 25 or younger.
The support services are part of the organization’s CrisisLink program, which operates the national, 24-hour 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for most of Virginia.
“Providing tailored crisis services will help us reach more people and connect them with safer life-saving services and resources that affirm their identities,” PRS CEO Joseph Getch said in a statement. “We now have crisis workers dedicated to this community that have additional training, lived experience, and a dedication to serving individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community. We are proud and eager to provide hope, empathy, and compassion.”
Formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 9-8-8 was established by Congress in 2020 as the nationwide phone number for accessing emergency mental health support. It officially replaced the pre-existing, 10-digit number on July 16, 2022.
The legislation required the new lifeline to have a “mechanism” where LGBTQ youth, minority and rural callers can access specialized services, because those populations are statistically at higher risk of contemplating or dying by suicide.
More than half (52%) of high school students who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual or who are questioning their sexual identity reported recently experiencing poor mental health, and 45% had seriously considered suicide within the past year compared to 15% for their heterosexual peers, according to a February report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC report, which examined trends from 2011 to 2021, didn’t address gender identity, but this summer, Denmark released a first-of-its-kind study that found transgender people died by suicide at 3.5 times the rate of the rest of the country’s population.
In Virginia, 43% of LGBTQ youth, including 53% of transgender and nonbinary youth, reported seriously considering suicide in the past year. In addition, 13% of LGBTQ youth, including 17% of trans and nonbinary individuals, attempted suicide in the past year, according to state-level data collected in 2022 by The Trevor Project.
The LGBTQ youth-focused suicide prevention nonprofit attributes those trends to the rejection and discrimination those populations experience in society, especially in a year when lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills restricting their access to health care, education and other rights.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration rolled out policies in July that direct schools to identify students based on their legal sex and names, though Fairfax County Public Schools has maintained its existing policies that support transgender and gender-expansive students.
“We know these young people face stigma, discrimination, and oppression making reaching out for help and connecting to safe resources incredibly difficult and scary,” Gretch said, noting that PRS is continuing “to evolve our crisis services to meet the needs of different populations.”
Established in 1963, PRS provides therapy, peer support, housing and employment assistance and other behavioral health services, along with its CrisisLink call center, which receives 14,000 calls per month on average, including 4,500 from Northern Virginia.
According to a press release, PRS is one of only four 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline centers in the country to offer chat and texting option to LGBTQ youth in addition to calls.
The LGBTQIA+ service provides several ways to get in touch: text “Q” to 988; press 3 when prompted while calling 988; or go to 988lifeline.org/chat and check the LGBTQI+ box in the pre-chat survey. These options are designed for anyone under 25 who wants to connect with a trained crisis worker specifically focused on meeting the needs of LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults.
(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) A man who died by suicide in Richmond today (Monday) was responsible for a shooting, stabbing and carjacking in Reston yesterday, Fairfax County police say.
Officers were dispatched to a home in the 12000 block of Thunder Chase Drive at 1:58 a.m. yesterday, where they found one person inside with “multiple gunshot wounds,” according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“Officers immediately rendered medical aid and the victim was taken to the hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” police said.
A second person was found in a nearby car “suffering from a stab wound to the arm and trauma to the face,” police said. That person was also taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
According to the FCPD, the person who got stabbed had been assaulted and abducted in Henrico County by 45-year-old Dana Paul Roman, a Richmond resident. The woman told police that Roman drove her to Reston at gunpoint and tied her to the car seat by a belt, according to scanner traffic.
“When Roman and the victim arrived at the Thunder Chase Drive address, Roman got out of the car and began shooting,” hitting the person later found inside the home multiple times before fleeing, police said.
The FCPD searched the area with help from a K9 unit, helicopter and Virginia State Police to no avail.
According to police, Roman apparently carjacked and abducted a third individual in Reston and forced them to drive to Henrico County.
Henrico County Police reported at 10:24 a.m. that its officers had located Roman and “pursued him into the City of Richmond, where he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound” at North 35th Street and East Marshall Avenue.
The FCPD says the shooting and stabbing victims were known to Roman. Before his death, detectives had obtained warrants charging him with abduction by force, carjacking, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, malicious wounding, and assault.
Henrico police had also gotten warrants for malicious wounding and robbery.
“Detectives continue to actively investigate the circumstances that led up to the violent encounters,” the FCPD said.
Henrico Police were able to locate Roman and pursued him into the City of Richmond where he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Richmond and Henrico Police forensics units are on site at 35th Street and E. Marshall Ave processing the scene.
More details to come shortly.
— Henrico Police (@HenricoPolice) June 12, 2023
Police have identified the couple that was found dead in Reston Tuesday (March 21) afternoon in what they say was a murder-suicide.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, Herndon resident Richard Garerick, 75, shot his wife, Patricia Garverick and then later killed himself.
The couple was found dead around 3 p.m. on a trail near Stratton Woods Park (2431 Fox Mill Road). The couple was found by a community member with gunshots wounds to their upper bodies.
Their car was found in the parking lot of Stratton Woods Park, along with cartridge cases and a firearm. They were pronounced dead on the scene by fire and rescue crews.
“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be completing autopsies to confirm manner and cause of death,” FCPD wrote in a statement.
An 86-year-old man appears to have shot his wife and then himself at their home in the Wakefield area on Tuesday (Feb. 28), police say.
Fairfax County police officers were called to a house in the 8900 block of Walker Street near Annandale around 10:15 p.m. after a friend found the bodies of Janos John Gertler and 73-year-old Eva Anna Vas.
Both Gertler and Vas had gunshot wounds and were declared dead at the scene.
“Preliminarily, detectives believe Janos shot his wife, Eva, before shooting himself,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a report released yesterday (Wednesday). “Several spent cartridge cases and a firearm were located within the home. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be completing autopsies to confirm manner and cause of death.”
An investigation into the apparent murder-suicide is still underway.
Preliminarily, detectives believe this to be a murder-suicide involving an elderly couple. Additional updates will be posted to our blog, https://t.co/YUigMm3yDx when available. https://t.co/yFyswvnZhH
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 1, 2023
This is the second fatal shooting within the past week that the FCPD believes stemmed from a domestic incident. Last Friday (Feb. 24), a Herndon man shot another man who had allegedly stabbed his wife at their home in the 13200 block of Stable Brook Way.
The man who was shot and the woman both died. Police later identified them as Joseph Ryan, 39, of Springfield and Christine Banfield, 37, of Herndon.
Police Chief Kevin Davis told media that investigators believed everyone involved in the incident knew each other, but in a news release, the FCPD said the man told 911 that “he shot an unknown man who entered his home and stabbed a woman.”
(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) A woman who died by suicide at a cemetery in Annandale 26 years ago has been identified.
The Fairfax County Police Department announced this morning (Thursday) that the woman known colloquially as the “Christmas Tree Lady” was 69-year-old Joyce Meyer. Detectives made the link using DNA tests and genomic sequencing by the Houston-based forensic laboratory Othram Inc.
“After decades of wondering what happened to their loved one, Joyce’s family is finally at peace thanks to the dedicated work of several generations of FCPD detectives, anonymous donors and Othram,” FCPD Major Crimes Bureau Commander Major Ed O’Carroll said. “Our detectives never stopped working for Joyce and her family. Advances in technology will continue to help close cases and provide answers to victim’s families.”
Meyer was found deceased in the Pleasant Valley Memorial Park at 8420 Little River Turnpike on Dec. 18, 1996. Officers found two envelopes in her pocket: one containing a letter signed “Jane Doe” that indicated she had taken her own life, and another with money to cover funeral expenses.
The woman was wearing headphones and had a Walkman with a tape recording of comedians Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner’s “2,000-Year-Old Man” routine, according to a Washington Post report from December 2000.
A small, decorated Christmas tree located near the body led to the “Christmas Tree Lady” moniker.
While no foul play or other crime was suspected in the death, detectives were assigned to try to identify the body so any loved ones she had may find closure, the police department says.
Unable to match the victim’s physical description to known missing persons in the D.C. region, the FCPD turned to Othram earlier this year for assistance. Launched in 2018, the private lab provides DNA testing and genomic sequencing services to law enforcement, and it’s working to establish a global digital database for DNA evidence, according to its website.
Meyer was identified through “advanced forensic genetic genealogy technology” that Othram used to connect the body to a possible family member, the FCPD says. The testing was funded by anonymous donations sent to the company’s DNA Solves database.
“Detectives connected with the family member, which led to additional family connections across the country,” the FCPD said. “A DNA sample confirmed a match, which was corroborated by conversations with long-lost siblings.”
According to police, family members believe Meyer moved to Virginia after the mid-1980s. She had not been reported missing at the time of her death and had no family in the immediate area.
Two women and a man found dead with gunshots wounds in Fair Lakes on Tuesday (June 7) may have made a suicide pact, Fairfax County Police Department said.
Police said they believe the man shot Angelica McIntosh, 26, and Anne Lollar, 31, before shooting himself in their apartment in the 4200 block of Mazarin Place. Police believe the man is Jose Gale Aliaga, 26, though they are still working to confirm that identification.
Officers are investigating it as a double murder-suicide, the FCPD said. The women’s deaths mark the ninth and 10th homicides of the year in the county, matching the number seen by this time in 2021.
After a family member requested a welfare check, officers discovered three people around 11 a.m. with gunshot wounds to the upper body, police said. They were barricaded in a back bedroom but could be seen through a window from the apartment balcony.
Another roommate who was inside was unaware of any foul play and allowed officers to gain access to the apartment, police said. The FCPD is considering the roommate as a person of interest.
There was evidence to indicate McIntosh, Lollar and the man made a suicide pact, police said.
The police department asks anyone with information to contact its Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone — 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web.
A man in the Kings Park West area shot and killed his wife before dying by suicide on Saturday (May 14), the Fairfax County Police Department reported this afternoon (Monday).
Madeline Bregman, 76, and Michael Bregman, 77, were found deceased inside their home in the 10400 block of Stallworth Court, just north of Robinson Secondary School, when officers stopped by before 3 p.m. for a welfare check, according to police.
The FCPD says both people had suffered apparent gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
“Preliminarily, detectives believe Michael shot his wife, Madeline, before shooting himself,” the FCPD said. “Several spent cartridge cases and a firearm were located within the home. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be completing autopsies to confirm manner and cause of death.”
Madeline Bregman is the county’s seventh homicide victim of the year, matching the number of murders reported at this point in 2021.
Photo via FCPD/Facebook
Man Dies After Crash in Oakton — “A 78-year-old man has died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash that occurred at 2:01 p.m. on March 30 in Oakton. Thomas Peregoy of Alexandria was driving eastbound on Lawyers Road near Kedge Drive when his 2014 Toyota Tacoma drifted off the roadway to the right, striking a tree head on.” [FCPD]
Genomic Sequencing Could Help ID “Christmas Tree Lady” — “For 25 years, the Fairfax County police have tried and failed to identify ‘the Christmas Tree Lady,’ so named because she placed an 8-inch Christmas tree with gold balls and red ribbons on the clear plastic sheet she put on the ground…She is the only person to die by suicide in Fairfax whom authorities have been unable to identify, before or since.” [The Washington Post]
County Launches Month-Long Solar Energy Campaign — “Fairfax County is pleased and proud to participate in the annual Solarize campaign, which brings residents and businesses bulk discounts on solar systems…Through the program, you can receive a free satellite assessment of your property to determine if it is suitable for solar.” [Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination]
Fort Belvoir Hospital Trauma Center Verified — “Fort Belvoir Community Hospital has received Level lll Trauma Center verification after demonstrating its ability to provide prompt assessment, surgery, intensive care and emergency operations…The only other verified trauma center in Northern Virginia is Inova Fairfax Hospital, a Level I facility.” [Inside NoVA]
Carjacking Reported in Mount Vernon — A man was driving in the 3700 block of Rolling Hills Avenue on March 26 when four men in a brown Nissan Altima blocked his vehicle. “The men then got out of the Altima, displayed a firearm and assaulted the victim,” police say. “The men then left the area in the victim’s car. The victim was treated for injuries not considered life threatening.” [FCPD]
McLean Arts Nonprofit Plans Spring Shows — The McLean Project for the Arts will host its first-ever “Spring Solo” exhibitions starting on April 14. The nonprofit received over 130 proposals, according to its artistic director and curator. Work from three artists, two from D.C. and one from Arlington, will be on display through June 11. [Sun Gazette]
Reston Community Center Announces Spring Programming — “Some of RCC’s most popular seasonal experiences are already sold out (Eggnormous Egg Hunt, Crafternoons), so don’t wait to enroll in the activities that still have space for children and their families!” [RCC]
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 56 and low of 34. Sunrise at 6:50 a.m. and sunset at 7:36 p.m. [Weather.gov]
A Fairfax County Police Department recruit and his wife have died after apparently “self-inflicted” shootings, police confirmed today (Monday).
Fairfax County police responded twice to a house in the 4200 block of Sonia Court, just down Route 1 from the South County Government Center in the Mount Vernon area on Saturday (Feb. 26), according to the police report.
The first call came around 8:10 p.m., when police received a call from a man identified as FCPD recruit Matthew Farberov, 28.
Farberov said he found his wife suffering from a gunshot wound that appeared to be self-inflicted. She was taken to a hospital by Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel, but later succumbed to her injuries.
Detectives concluded their initial investigation around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 27), only to be called back at 1:35 a.m. for a second “self-inflicted” shooting.
“Upon arrival, officers found Faberov suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the FCPD report says. “Farberov was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The manner and cause of death will be confirmed with autopsies by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
According to The Washington Post, Police Chief Kevin Davis has ordered an internal investigation into the shootings, focused on how the responding officers handled the incident, including whether the firearms in the home should have been seized and a delay in sharing information with the public.
Photo via FCPD/Twitter
