PULASKI, N.Y. — Oswego Health in partnership with a Central New York Family brought mental health expert, Dan Reidenberg, to the Pulaski Central School District to train the entire district on mental health and suicide prevention as part of an in-service training on Friday.

The Lobdell family, originally from Pulaski, N.Y. is no stranger to mental health.

They recently donated $1 million to Oswego Health in memory of their son and brother Rusty who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and sadly took his own life.

Together, they are raising awareness around mental health by providing evidence-based programs and community-wide prevention training.

“As a family deeply affected by mental illness and suicide, we are honored to partner with Oswego Health to bring world-renowned mental health expert, Dr. Dan Reidenberg, to Pulaski for this important initiative. Rusty’s battle with schizophrenia and the tragic loss of his life have inspired us to take action. We believe that it’s crucial to raise awareness about mental health and provide evidence-based programs and community-wide prevention training,” said Vinny Lobdell.

The entire Pulaski district, everyone from academics, to support staff, received training and the tools needed to have a conversation about mental health and identify warning signs for suicide.

The Pulaski School District is the first to receive the training, Oswego Health and the Lobdell hope to collaborate with all CNY districts to equip staff with the resources they need to identify warning signs and ultimately save lives.

“This partnership with Oswego Health marks the first of its kind from a programming standpoint, and we are proud to support the entire Pulaski district,” said Lobdell. “Our hope is that this initiative will foster a greater understanding and compassion for mental health issues within our community.”