Brightly-colored signs bearing three simple numbers — 988 — are appearing in parks across Geauga County in a growing effort to connect people in crisis with immediate, confidential help.
Brightly-colored signs bearing three simple numbers — 988 — are appearing in parks across Geauga County in a growing effort to connect people in crisis with immediate, confidential help.
Between 2020 and 2025, 74 people died by suicide in Geauga County, said Christine Lakomiak, executive director of the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services.
“We noticed a pattern,” she said, which prompted her to take the figures to Geauga County Commissioners, who approved forming a Suicide Fatality Review Board a year ago, which includes Lakomiak; Geauga County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tom Rowan; Geauga County Commissioner Carolyn Brakey; Diane Keep of Geauga Public Health; and Tracy Jordan, crisis response director at the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.
While there was a National Suicide Prevention Hotline, in moments of crisis, remembering a 10-digit phone number could be challenging, Lakomiak said.
So, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, working closely with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, helped establish the three-digit 988 hotline program, which launched in 2022.
It provides free, confidential, 24-hour support by call, text or online chat at 988lifeline.org for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health struggles, emotional distress or substance use concerns, Lakomiak said in a previous press release.
“The intent was to replace the 10-digit number,” she said, noting when people are in that kind of crisis, they need immediate help.
There are 19 call centers in Ohio operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Lakomiak said. Anyone who calls 988 will be connected immediately.
“The caller will be told, if he or she is a veteran, to press #1 and they will be linked to a veterans crisis line,” she added.
If one center is busy, calls are automatically forwarded to another center, where a trained counselor will answer, Lakomiak said.
“It links people with local resources. That’s the beauty of it,” she said.
The service also is available to those worried about someone else, Lakomiak said in a press release, adding trained crisis counselors provide compassionate, judgment-free listening, de-escalation assistance and connections to local resources. Support is offered in English and Spanish, with interpretation available in more than 240 languages.
Area Parks Step Up
After organizing the review board, members focused on raising awareness of the 988 lifeline. One trend stood out.
“Our suicide fatality reviews have consistently shown that many of the tragic incidents involving suicide in Geauga County happen in our beautiful parks and natural areas,” Lakomiak said.
Munson Township trustees were among the first to agree to post the 988 signs in visible park locations, including Munson Township Park on Bass Lake Road, Scenic River Retreat on Mayfield Road and Nero Nature Preserve on Bean Road, as well as at the township hall and sports complex on Auburn Road, said Trustee Andy Bushman.
Lakomiak said 34 signs will be posted by the Geauga Park District and along the 21-mile Maple Highlands Trail. She also hopes villages and additional townships will participate.
“Punderson (State Park) reached out and wanted multiple signs,” she said.
Chardon and Huntsburg townships have agreed to install signs in their parks. The signs can be customized to include a community’s logo upon request, Lakomiak said, adding the board continues to reach out to other local governments.
“We’re trying to get on their agendas and ask for partnerships,” Lakomiak said, noting she is scheduled to present at trustee meetings in Chester, Claridon and Parkman townships and to the Russell Township Police Department.
“This is a work in progress,” she said.
Metal signs cost between $12 and $15 each, depending on size. Government entities can order the signs through Lakomiak and post them using provided metal stakes, she said, adding schools have also received posters promoting the lifeline.
