Years ago, I lost a dear friend of mine to suicide, and it was fundamentally life changing for me. After that incident, I remember thinking, “I should have done something. I should have said something.” I replayed every interaction I had with them over and over again.

In that moment, I wish I had someone I could talk to – someone who could tell me what I should have done differently to help my friend. Countless South Dakotans feel the same way.

We are surrounded by people every day, but we don’t always know what those individuals are going through. The world we live in can be very difficult. People are often judged by any number of factors, and that’s not the way God intended for us to treat our brothers and sisters. We are called to love one another.

When I first became Governor, I had several staff members who were also impacted by suicide. They came to me, sharing their personal stories of loss and imploring me to do something. I decided to make reducing suicide deaths a priority of my Administration. We drew a path forward: to start an annual Suicide Prevention Conference; to emphasize the 988 hotline; and to bring six different agencies to develop a comprehensive statewide plan to prevent suicide.

We built three Regional Crisis Stabilization Centers across the state (with more to come) and established a Zero Suicide Workgroup. Because of these efforts, suicide rates in South Dakota are finally starting to decline. But our work is not done. We need to continue to do everything we can to restore hope to our communities.

Just last week, we held the Third Annual Suicide Prevention Conference, and it was a tremendous success. The title of the conference was “We Need to Talk.”

When you hear that phrase, it usually creates a feeling of dread in your stomach. You probably anticipate that a hard conversation is coming. But for someone who is struggling with thoughts of suicide, that conversation can literally be life changing. Suicide is certainly not an easy topic to discuss, but we need to help people feel comfortable sharing their struggles so they can get the help they need.

I’ve prioritized supporting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline. This hotline has received nearly 20,000 calls since its inception. 24% of them are suicide-related, and 97% of those have been stabilized by the time they hang up the phone. That is such a miracle. It is so power for individuals who are experiencing a crisis to be able to talk to someone without the fear of being judged, to receive immediate assistance, and to have someone to continue to walk beside them and ensure they are not alone.

We live in a day and age where people perish because they don’t have a vision; they don’t have hope. But we have the opportunity to turn the tide and bring light to those who are trapped in darkness. With the right resources – and with some tough conversations – my prayer is that we will continue to see deaths by suicide decline, that people will live the hopeful lives that God has blessed them with.

Each of us were created with a purpose – and part of that purpose is to love each other and serve people. South Dakotans recognize the power of relationships. And we recognize that each and every person is special. No one is above helping their neighbor get through hard times – South Dakotans prove that every day.

We need to talk – and I know that we will.

If you or a loved one are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, please call 988. Start the conversation. It takes courage to engage in difficult conversations, but we cannot be afraid. Each of us can make a difference. Each of us can bring hope to those who are hurting.