SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2020
Everyone Has a Role to Play
Pain is not always obvious. Everyday students, friends, families, and co-workers struggle with emotional pain and for some it is too difficult to talk about the pain, thoughts of suicide and the need for help. Thought the warning signs can be subtle, they are there. By recognizing these signs, know how to start a conversation and where to turn for help, you have the power to make a difference – the power to save a life. Know the Signs, Find the Words and Reach Out.
When in Crisis, reach out for support: Mental Health & Suicide Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255
Safety and Medical Emergency - “911”; Fairfield Mobile Crisis Clinic – 1-800 -586 -9903
Check out the various JED Foundation Signature Programs
JED’s Suicide Prevention Month Resource Hub
#JEDCares With the global spread of COVID-19 along with other societal challenges impacting the United States right now, it is more important than ever that we protect our mental health and take steps to prevent suicide. Click here to access website.
settogo.org - helps teens to transition out of high school; learn practical and powerful skills, develop social and emotional skills and understand mental health and substance abuse - SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING;STAYING HEALTHY AT COLLEGE; THE VALUE OF COLLEGE; THE TRANSITION TO COLLEGE
Encourages teens and young adults to “seize the awkward” by reaching out to a friend who may be struggling with mental health problems. https://seizetheawkward.org/#what-is-seize-the-awkward
Love is Louder Action Center is designed to share tips, tools and ideas for actions that can help us take care of our emotional health and take care of each other. Being proactive about our mental health is especially important with all the fear and uncertainty we are facing as individuals and communities.
ULifeline www.ulifeline.org. A mental health resource center that offers college students information about emotional health issues and the resources available on their campus. It also offers a confidential metal health self-screening tool.
halfofus: Aims to initiate a public dialogue to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues and connect students to the appropriate resources and help. www.halfofus.com
#CHATSAFE: A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE FOR COMMUNICATING SAFELY ONLINE ABOUT SUICIDE - https://www.orygen.org.au
ENGAGE
people with lived experience in your prevention efforts using these resources:
• A brief video explaining lived experience http://www.sprc.org/micro-learning/leah-harris-livedexperience-what-it-how-include-it
• A toolkit to involve people with lived experience in prevention efforts http://www.sprc.org/livedexperiencetoolkit/about
• A lived experience story about what makes a difference http://www.sprc.org/micro-learning/lived-experience-storyabout-what-makes-difference
Equity and Culture Centered Outreach and Services.
Understand the role of culture in the delivery of suicide prevention, substance abuse and mental health services. Discusses racial, ethnic, and cultural considerations and the core elements of cultural competence.
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) recommends that “suicide prevention interventions, products, and services should be tailored to the cultural, linguistic, and other needs of each group”1 identified as being at risk of suicide. Tailoring to produce a culturally competent product requires more than merely producing materials in the language of the target audience. Prevention materials should “honor and respect the beliefs, language, interpersonal styles, and behaviors of individuals and families”.
There is a great need for suicide prevention messages and materials that are designed to reach specific linguistic or cultural groups. As the population of the United States becomes increasingly diverse, providing culturally appropriate services has become more important. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that at least 350 languages are spoken in the United States5 and that the use of languages other than English— particularly Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Arabic—will increase in the second decade of the 21st century