Email Subject: Suicide Prevention Week Challenge #2:  Find the Words

Suicide Prevention Week (September 5-11, 2021) and World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10, 2021) is a time when individuals and organizations around the country and the world join their voices to broadcast the message that everyone can play a role in suicide prevention and to remember loved ones lost to suicide.  We hope you will join us by participating in the Suicide Prevention Week Challenge.  To get started download the challenge flyer and challenge card!

Download the “Know the Signs – Find the Words – Reach Out” Crossword Puzzle and try to solve all the clues. Take a picture of the solved puzzle and post it to your social media with these hashtags:  #SuicidePrevention  #Crossword. For more activities such as Trivia and Bingo visit: www.suicideispreventable.org/prevention-kit.php.

“Are you thinking about suicide?”. These words can be difficult to say, but when it comes to suicide prevention, none are more important. Asking someone directly about suicide can be difficult but being direct provides an opportunity for the person to open up and talk about their feelings. Asking directly about suicide will not suggest the idea to them.  Listening, expressing concern, and providing reassurance will go a long way in your effort to support them.

If you think someone is thinking about suicide, listen to your instincts and take it seriously. Don’t leave them alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (TALK) at any time for assistance.

Additional activity suggestions:

• When it comes to suicide prevention, the terms, phrases, and words we use can have a significant impact on the way messages are received. Messages can encourage someone to seek help and reach out, or they can push people further from the support they need. Learn about suicide prevention safe and effective messaging recommendations by joining the Suicide Prevention Week: Messaging Matters Webinar 7^th 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. and reviewing the ‘Messaging Matters’ tip sheet.
• To learn more about the warning signs for suicide and tips to prepare for a conversation with someone you are concerned about visit the “Find the Words” section of the website: org.
• Download and share the Find the Words card and social media posts.
• Watch this 60-second PSA created by a California student. This film encourages the viewer to directly ask someone who shows warning signs of suicide if they are thinking of suicide. The film, called “Unrecognizable Thoughts,” explains that asking someone if they’re thinking about suicide is important and that “you may have to break a friend’s trust to help them.”

Find even more activities in the Suicide Prevention Week 2020 Kit here. 

Connect with thousands throughout the country during Suicide Prevention Week by using the hashtags #SuicidePrevention #SuicidePreventionWeek #WorldSuicidePreventionDay

Suicide Prevention Week Challenge #1:  Reconnect and Create a Safe Space

Welcome to Suicide Prevention Week!

Throughout this week, individuals and organizations around the state and country join their voices to broadcast the message that everyone can play a role in suicide prevention. We hope you will join us by participating in the Suicide Prevention Week Challenge beginning today – Monday, September 6, 2021. To get started download the challenge flyer and challenge card!

Many of us have been touched by the tragedy of suicide. We may have lost someone close to us or been moved by the loss of someone we may have never met. When a suicide happens, those left behind often experience deep shock. Even if they knew the person was struggling, they may not have expected suicide would be the result. However, many people who find themselves in a suicide crisis can and do recover. Suicide can be prevented and everyone can play a role by learning the warning signs of suicide and finding the words to reach out to someone you are concerned about.

Know the Signs: Pain isn’t always obvious. Yet most people who are considering suicide show some warning signs or signals of their intentions. The signs or changes in behavior may appear in conversations, through their actions, or in social media posts. These are of most concern if the behavior is new, has increased or seems related to a painful event, loss, or change. Learn more about the warning signs at www.SuicideisPreventable.org

Find the Words and Create a Safe Space:  Feeling connected to friends, family, and our community can  be a protective factor for suicide. As we reenter and rebuild the fabrics of our daily life that were so fundamentally disrupted, reconnecting with supportive relationships, and practicing positive coping skills is essential for our emotional well-being.  Use this time to reach out to someone in your life and let them know that you are comfortable to talk about anything they need, including suicide, and should they ever come to a point where they are questioning their reasons for living, you will be there to listen and support them. Creating this safe space at a time when there is no crisis is one way we can play a role in suicide prevention.

Find activities and more in the Suicide Prevention Week 2020 Kit here.

Connect with thousands throughout the country during Suicide Prevention Week by using the hashtags #SuicidePrevention #SuicidePreventionWeek