Flemming Funch of Kitsap Mental Health Services has been awarded this year’s Youth Suicide Prevention Award for the State of Washington. The award was conferred by the Northwest Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP-NW).

Funch, whose work in suicide prevention was influenced by the loss of a brother to suicide, was nominated for the award by Dr. Kirk Wolfe, AFSP-NW board member who described the honoree as one of the pioneers of youth suicide prevention in Washington during the last decade and a “pillar of prevention” for his daily work counseling with adolescent attempters. Funch serves as Supervisor on the Youth Inpatient Unit of the KMHS Inpatient Center in Bremerton (formerly known as the Adolescent Treatment Unit) where he as worked for 14 years.

Flemming Funch can be reached at (360) 415-5801.