By: Elizabeth Young, Masters Level Clinical Intern 09/08/2024
Suicide Prevention Week: How You Can Get Involved to Prevent Suicide
Suicide is now a leading cause of death in the U.S. but it can be challenging to know how to get involved or make a difference. September 8th through 14th is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week and it’s a great opportunity to learn more (https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/observances/suicide-prevention-month)! Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on how to have a conversation with someone you are concerned may be thinking about suicide.
Please visit the 988lifeline.org site and click on Get Involved for more information on the following ideas (https://988lifeline.org/participate/) and learn more about 988 Suicide and Crisis services as they turn two years old:
- Volunteer at a local crisis center
- Learn the five steps for talking with someone about suicide at https://www.bethe1to.com/bethe1to-steps-evidence/
- Share your story
- Work toward safer online communities
- Donate to the cause
You can also find out how to help someone thinking about suicide by taking a quick and inexpensive suicide prevention training course such as the QPR Gatekeeper (e.g., Question, Persuade, Refer) (https://qprinstitute.com/individual-training).
Understand the impact by knowing the numbers such as those published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (https://www.nami.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NAMI_Suicide_2023.pdf).
Promote National Suicide Prevention Month with ideas from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (https://sprc.org/wp-content/uploads/SPM-Ideas-for-Action-2024_v2.pdf).
Develop a personal listing of local, regional, state, and national resources to have on hand. With these ideas and resources, getting involved has never been easier! You can make a difference.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please give us a call at
847-854-4333 to set up an appointment or email at admin@owenscounseling.com.