Suicide Prevention

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among teens. If you or someone you know is considering suicide or showing any of the warning signs, get help NOW by calling 911.

If you are a young person and have thought of hurting yourself, TXT 4 HELP can provide support and connect you with someone who cares and can help.  Text the word SAFE and your location to 4HELP (44357). You’ll receive a response with the address of the nearest Safe Place®. You will then have the option to immediately text or call to speak one-on-one with a counselor. TXT 4 HELP is free and confidential. Learn more about TXT 4 HELP by visiting https://www.nationalsafeplace.org/txt-4-help.

Everyone plays a role in preventing suicide. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline shares resources for their #BeThe1To campaign including:

• Be the one to ask.
• Be the one to keep them safe.
• Be the one to be there.
• Be the one to help them connect.

• Be the one to follow-up.

Learn how to #BeThe1To make a difference at www.988lifeline.org/participate.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center also shares prevention resources. Topics include:

• Scope of the problem
• Risk and protective factors
• Warning signs
• Reduce access to means
• Life skills and resilience
• Connectedness
• Respond to crisis
• Postvention
• Finding and using data
• Evidence-based prevention

In addition to these topics, they also share how the following populations are affected by suicide:

• Racial/ethnic groups
• Older adults
• Adolescents
• LGBT
• Military/veterans
• Men

Additional resources:

• Suicide Statistics: https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html 
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center – Adolescent Risk and Protective Factors: http://www.sprc.org/populations/adolescents
• Suicide in Teens and Children Symptoms & Causes: http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/s/suicide-and-teens/symptoms-and-causes
• Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide: http://www.sptsusa.org/teens
• Suicide in America FAQs: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-faq/index.shtml
• #BeThe1To 5 Action Steps: http://www.bethe1to.com/bethe1to-steps-evidence
• Preventing Suicide – A Toolkit for High Schools: https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Preventing-Suicide-A-Toolkit-for-High-Schools/SMA12-4669
• “What a Parent Can Do”: http://prp.jasonfoundation.com/what-a-parent-can-do
• 10 Leading Causes of Death by Age Group (2016 Chart – National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, and CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_death_age_group_2016_1056w814h.gif