Suffolk County, NY - September 2, 2015 - Suffolk County Police Department Fifth Precinct Officer Philip Schoppmann will be one of four recipients of the Excellence in Suicide Prevention Award presented by the Suicide Prevention Center of New York State (SPCNY).

Officer Schoppmann created and coordinated a team of trainers known as the T.U.L.I.P.S., which stands for Trainers United on Long Island for the Prevention of Suicide.  The team has 4 trainers, including Officer Schoppmann and includes social workers, state employees, and a marriage and family therapist. In just the past few months, the team has certified approximately 650 members of the community with skills in suicide prevention or intervention skills.

With funding from the Mental Health Association of New York State, Officer Schoppmann created a tool utilized to develop a safety plan when working with suicidal people. He also helped to create and coordinate the peer support team for the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association known as Providing Enforcers Education & Resources (P.E.E.R.).  This support team serves and supports Suffolk police officers.

The awards ceremony will be held at the 5th Annual SPCNY Awards Banquet on Wednesday, September 16, 2015. National Suicide Prevention Week is September 7-13, 2015 and the World Suicide Prevention Day is Thursday, September 10, 2015.

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) recognizes suicide as a serious statewide public health concern and accordingly, has established suicide prevention as a top priority. The Suicide Prevention Center of NY is operated by the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene with funding from OMH.