September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicide is a major public health concern and a leading cause of death in the U.S. Everyone can play a role in preventing suicide!
Help us raise awareness by sharing resources that help others recognize the warning signs for suicide and know how to get help.
If you need immediate assistance, please call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th.
In the United States, September 10th marks the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Week (September 10th-16th)
Source: Pennsylvania's Suicide Prevention Guide
It can feel uncomfortable, and sometimes even scary, to talk about mental health and suicide prevention. By finding the courage within ourselves to engage in open discussions, we can help save lives. Here are some tips that may help when engaging in courageous conversations.
Practice using nonjudgmental language when discussing suicide.
Present suicide as a preventable event.
When talking about a suicide death, utilize language that is sensitive to the grieving family.
Use objective terms for suicidal events, such as “death by suicide” or “non-fatal attempt.”
Avoid using the words “commit” or “complete” when discussing suicide. The phrase "committed suicide" is usually associated with a sin or a crime, which suicide is neither. Using the words "completed suicide" conveys success or accomplishing something good, which suicide is not. The proper term for someone who has taken their own life is "died by suicide." Also acceptable is "killed him/her/theirself” or "took their own life.”
You are not alone. Many organizations are working each and every day to support you and your efforts with suicide prevention. Please consider using these crisis lines and resources in your messaging during Suicide Prevention Month.
National
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988; or to talk with someone over the computer visit 988lifeline.org/chat
Veterans Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988, press 1
Spanish Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988, press 2
LGBTQI+ Affirming Counseling for Youth: Text Q to 988, or call 988, press 3
Native and Strong Lifeline: 988, press 4
Crisis Text Line: TEXT PA to 741741 or visit http://www.crisistextline.org/
The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 or visit https://www.thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 https://www.translifeline.org
Crisis Support
Source:
If you or a loved one is experiencing an urgent crisis, you can:
Call 800-273-TALK (8255) for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7)
Chat live with someone from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7)
Text HOME to 741741 to text with a live, trained Crisis Counselor
Call 911
Go to your local crisis response center
Go immediately to the nearest hospital emergency room
Source: Pennsylvania's Suicide Prevention Guide
Self-Care Resources
Mental Health Mobile Apps: a compiled list of mobile apps for mental health and wellness.
Virtual Calming Room: Jana Marie Foundation created a virtual calming room for students, teachers, and caring adults to find tools and strategies for managing emotions and building resiliency.
The Trevor Project Self-Care guide: includes ways to practice self-care at home, at school, and in public.
Pause-Reset-Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing: provides information about a specific self-care strategy by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Stress First Aid: Manuals and resources for health care workers available through the U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs.
Targeted Resources
Mental Health America BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Mental Health Facts, Stats, and Resources
Mental Health America 2023 BIPOC Mental Health Month Toolkit
The Jed Foundation: The Benefits of a Therapist Who Understands Your Cultural Background
National Action Alliance: Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention Resources
The School District of Philadelphia has partnered with Kooth---a 24/7 safe, confidential website for young people to find online support and counseling at no-cost to them or their family. Kooth provides a wide-range of options for students grades 6-12th including self-help resources, peer community interactions, and chat-based counseling with licensed professionals. Kooth is a natural addition to existing support systems used in schools and community organizations. Learn more about the Kooth platform in this video or read about the resources available on Kooth here.
Expanding services to students in grades 6-8th
This school year, Kooth will expand its resources to include middle schoolers. Kooth is excited for school year 23-24 and to welcome new and returning youth to the platform. As we continue our support and expand access to include middle schoolers, we invite parents and caregivers to participate in one of our information sessions. Learn more about the consent process for youth aged 11-13 here.
Family Information Sessions
Kooth will host info sessions on the first Wednesday and third Thursday of each from September through November 5:30p-6 specifically for parents and caregivers covering who Kooth is, the services offered to your youth, our safeguarding model, and the consent process. If you wish to learn more about Kooth and how it can help your children, please come along! You can register your interest here.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1–800–273-TALK (8255)
The Lifeline is a 24-hour toll-free phone line for people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. An online chat option is available at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx
Crisis Text Line
http://www.crisistextline.org/
Crisis Text Line provides free emotional support and information to teens in any type of crisis, including feeling suicidal. You can text with a trained specialist 24 hours a day. Text “HOME” to 741741.
ReachOut.com
http://us.reachout.com/
This website provides information and support for teens and young adults struggling with mental health issues, including suicide. All the material is written by teens and young adults. There are fact sheets about depression and suicide, stories about dealing with suicide issues, information on how to get help for yourself and how to help a friend, and the ReachOut blog. You can also join a forum to connect with your peers for immediate support and information or use the text service ReachOut TXT to get help from trained volunteers.
Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide - Teen Section: http://www.sptsusa.org/teens/
This website has a teen section where you can find information to help yourself or a friend who may be having suicidal thoughts. You can also find information on how to cope if a friend dies by suicide.
Trevor Project
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth ages 13–24. Its website has information about the signs of suicide and a way to connect online with other LGBTQ youth.
The Trevor Helpline is a 24-hour toll-free suicide hotline at 1-866-488-7386. TrevorChat is for online crisis chat 6 hours a day at www.thetrevorproject.org/chat. Trevor Text is for texting on Friday's late afternoon to early evening. Text “Trevor” to 202-304-1200.
Youth Suicide Prevention Program
http://www.yspp.org/
This website is full of information for teens about suicide and suicide prevention, depression, how to help, and where to get help, as well as information for LGBTQ youth, including a video. It also has information on how to talk to a friend or an adult about suicide and materials for teens and adults who want to provide education about suicide prevention or start a suicide prevention program.
2024 PSA Contest for Youth Suicide Prevention
The 2024 PSA Contest for Youth Suicide Prevention site is up and they are ready to start pushing information out! The official launch date is Monday, September 18, so entries may not be able to be submitted until then, but you can start looking at details and plan for submissions.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1–800–273-TALK (8255)
The Lifeline is a 24-hour toll-free phone line for people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. An online chat option is available here.
Jason Foundation Parent Resource Program
This website contains basic information about suicide and how you as a parent or guardian can help prevent youth suicide. It also has a video of a parent and community seminar that includes basic information on suicide and provides awareness and suicide prevention strategies for parents and other adults.
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is the only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
Information Sheets
1 . Oregon Youth Suicide Prevention Program
Cómo pueden los padres OBSERVAR ESCUCHAR AYUDAR (How Parents Can LOOK LISTEN AND HELP: Youth Suicide Is Preventable)
This Spanish-language webpage discusses your role as a parent in recognizing changes in your child’s behavior that may indicate he or she is at risk of depression or suicide. It also outlines how you can intervene to prevent a crisis and obtain help. This information can be downloaded as a brochure, and an English-language version can be ordered by e-mail.
2. National Association of School Psychologists
Preventing Youth Suicide—Tips for Parents and Educators
This webpage describes the risk and resiliency factors related to suicide, warning signs of suicide, ways to respond, and the role of the school in suicide prevention.
Additional Resources
Healthy Minds Philly Suicide Resource Page: Additional suicide prevention resources are available on Healthy Minds Philly, including local and national resources.
Suicide By the Numbers: This PDF offers a stark reminder of how prevalent a problem suicide is here in Philadelphia.
STAR Center Postvention Guide: The Services for Teens At Risk (STAR-Center) is a program that combines clinical and outreach services designed to combat the problem of adolescent suicide. Numerous school districts across the country have used the Postvention Guide and services in dealing with the tragedy of teen suicide.
Delaware County Intermediate Unit Postvention Practices Video: Created by the DCIU and the Pennsylvania Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative, this video offers ideas for schools on how to prevent youth suicide.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day: Survivor Day is the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather around the world at events in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. In 2017, there were over 350 Survivor Day events in 18 countries.
zerosuicide.org: For mental health professionals, health care providers, or organizations looking for resources in suicide prevention.
The School District of Philadelphia will be taking time this month to highlight the importance of wellness, taking care of yourself and reaching out for help. This is the perfect opportunity to share information with students, parents and your school community.
Some suggestions include:
Create bulletin boards promoting suicide awareness
Share suicide prevention resources with students and families
Incorporate facts about suicide prevention into daily announcements
Visit classrooms to share information about suicide prevention and mental health resources and supports
Utilize community meetings to discuss suicide prevention and the importance of mental health with students
Share activities with teachers and school staff to be utilized within classrooms
Additional Resources:
General Resources
School and Classroom Activities
Tips and Fact Sheets
Video Resources
Support for Staff
Toolkits and Programs for School and Community Settings
Source: Pennsylvania's Suicide Prevention Guide
Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Resources from Mindwise
Safe and Effective Messaging for Suicide Prevention: Evidence-based recommendations from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC).
Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide: This guide important points for covering suicide, “do’s and don’ts” for safe reporting, and suggestions for online media/message boards/bloggers. Additional information can be found at http://reportingonsuicide.org/.
Framework for Successful Messaging: The National Action Alliance has provided this framework for public messaging (e.g., posters, PSAs, social media, websites, etc.) to ensure that suicide-related messages are safe, strategic, positive, and in line with best practices. It includes updated information about 988.
Mental Health Media Guide: Developed by a groundbreaking coalition of mental health experts and entertainment industry leaders to help storytellers and content creators develop more authentic and accurate portrayals of mental health.
Facts and Resources from the American Association of Suicidology
1. Facts and Statistics
2. Toolkits and Briefs
3. Autism Resources
4. LGBTQ+ Resources
5. Suicide Loss Survivors Resources
6. Suicide Attempt Survivors and Lived Experience of Suicide Resources
7. School Resources
