By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

It was nearly two years ago when the New York Mills community heard about the loss of one of their own, Sam Long, who died by suicide on December 22, 2023. Since that time, an attempt to improve and expand mental health services to those in need has been under way and a letter from Sam’s wife, Gina Long, sparked it all.  ¶  “About two months after Sam passed away, I sent ten letters to people all over the state of Minnesota,” explained Long, “just explaining to them, with the amount of money it took to get rid of his car and to clean up the scene and all of that, why wasn’t our county willing to help him? I mean it was thousands of dollars to take care of all that.”  ¶  “I told them there needs to be something put in place that is a more home-like environment,” she continued, “something that people can feel comfortable enough with, from their own home. There needs to be a family push, yes, they have to be willing, but the family has the power to say, ‘we love you, you need help.’ No one responded to my letters except Jordan Rasmusson, and I’m very thankful that he did.”

With Minnesota State Senator Rasmusson’s efforts, Senate File 5249 was passed in 2024 to establish a $250,000 grant for Otter Tail County for the creation of a pilot program focused on mental health engagement services. With the new legislation and public visibility, an additional sum was added to expand the pilot program to a $1.5 million from the get-go.

“That got the ball rolling for new laws and new programs,” said Long. “These individuals who are struggling can get help from the comfort of their own home. We’ve always had a crisis team, but they are booked and understaffed. This will staff a team that can move quickly and diagnose and create a treatment plan. No hospitals, no emergency rooms, right there from your own home.”

Long’s push for mental health centered around the home comes after years of experience trying to find help for her husband during his mental health crises over several years of their marriage.

“If I date back a year, or even back to 2018, the only options back then when you were feeling suicidal or attempting was to go to the emergency room and from the emergency room, you get sent to either the state hospital or a place like Prairie St. John’s, so that’s really your only options,” she said. “In 2018, he attempted and they put him in the emergency room and no offense to them, they’re following protocol, but you’re basically treated like a prisoner. I mean you are monitored like you are a serial killer, so it’s not a very home-like setting. The last couple of months of Sam’s life, I thought what I had was great proof that he needed help and every time I tried to talk to someone, it was ‘there is nothing we can do, without a direct threat, there is nothing we can do, he has to threaten his life or yours.’”

Long explained that at that time, she had subtle hints coming in every direction, but without a clearly spoken, direct threat, she received nothing but inaction from any authority on the subject.

“So then, obviously, he made his choice,” said Long. “I told my kids and everybody who was at the funeral that we would make something good happen with all of this. That’s how it all came about, I felt like our family was cheated by the system. Sam, of course, was cheated because of the lack of options, therefore he lost hope.

“I’m just trying to be a woman of my word,” she continued. “I told my kids that we’d do something good and we did. The goal is to save a life and to prevent families from having to go through what we did.”

The pilot program began earlier this month in Otter Tail County, Douglas County, and two locations within the Twin Cities. Otter Tail County as well as the three other locations are areas with high-suicide rates within Minnesota and the pilot program will aim to lower suicide rates. The future of the program depends upon its results, with the hope that with lower suicide rates, the program will expand statewide and even onto a federal level in future years.

“I am a big advocate for this program, I firmly believe that it’s going to do great things, but people have to be willing to utilize it,” said Long. “Maybe our family would look different today if this program had been there in December of 2023. And obviously, there’s been multiple families in our community since December of 2023 that have lost family members to suicide, so there’s a lot of local families that would look different if this program had been put into effect sooner.

“That’s the beauty of turning something bad into something good, maybe we’re just that chosen family to do it,” she continued. “I just know people’s families would look different if there was better mental health care options a year ago, two years ago, then there is today. I have three kids at home that do not have a dad, and if he would have just had this option, he could still be here today.”

Through all of the pain and grief that a tragedy such as this one brings upon a family, Gina Long has chosen to take Sam’s story and bring about good from something as terrible as suicide.

“If you’ve ever experienced tragedy, you really do have two options,” said Long. “You can let it kill and cripple you, or you can use it as fuel to do something good. I remember exactly where I was sitting thinking, ‘oh my gosh, how am I going to raise these kids and pay these bills?’ but no, we’re going to turn it into something good. So I guess it’s just a personal choice after you’ve been through tragedy. One of the biggest reasons is to prevent other families from having to go through this.”

For those struggling with mental health issues and in need of help, Long urges everyone in need to take full advantage of the new pilot program and to be brave in the face of adversity. Her message to those struggling is a plea from one who has witnessed the wrong choice:

“There is hope, be brave,” she said. “I feel like when they make the decision to take their own life, they have no hope. This program will offer hope to those struggling and to their families. It would be like you drowning and I threw you a lifeline and you not being brave enough to grab it, that’s the visual in my head. This pilot program will throw them that lifeline—grab it. Don’t loose sight that there’s a reason you were put on this earth, there’s a purpose.”