Beating Utah's grim suicide statistics: LGBT-focused center to open in St. George

Families and individuals in St. George's LGBT community will soon no longer be without direct services thanks to a suicide prevention-focused center that hopes to open as early as the end of this year.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Utahns in two major age groups:10-17 and 18-24, according to the Utah Department of Health, and LGBT youth are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers.

Though these numbers may "just be statistics" to some, for others, it's their daily lives.

Encircle, an LGBT family youth and resource center, plans to open a "home" in St. George near the end of 2019 or early 2020 in the heart of downtown. The resource center is in the process of reconstructing a pioneer home, located at 190 S. 100 E. into Encircle's future St. George center.

Encircle currently has two locations in Utah: one in Salt Lake City and another in Provo. Encircle focuses on LGBT youth ages 12-25 and their families; however, the center doesn't turn anyone away.

Read more: https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2019/05/22/utah-suicide-statistics-lgbt-center-open-st-george/3754756002/