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MENTAL HEALTH MINUTE - SUICIDE PREVENTION
With Fall just around the corner, September brings cooler temperatures and a national focus on Suicide Prevention Month. Contrary to what many people believe, talking about suicide does not increase the likelihood that someone will act on suicidal thoughts. Addressing the topic directly and without judgment can have the opposite effect. Suicide is preventable if you know the signs and take action when you see them. Here are four ways you might be able to help prevent suicide.
1. Be Aware. Be on the lookout for signs that someone is thinking about suicide. These can include- isolating themselves, withdrawing from friendship groups, sports teams, or other social gatherings, giving away special possessions, mentioning suicide or death, posting concerning online social media, or making out-of-character sentimental statements.
2. Be Direct. If you suspect that someone you care about is thinking about ending their own life, it is better to ask them about it directly. a. Instead of: “How are you doing?”, which will often lead to the person saying they are “fine.” b. Try: “Are you having thoughts about suicide?”, which will make them aware of the fact that others notice their behavior and care enough to bring it up.
3. Don’t Panic. If the person you are concerned about tells you that they are thinking of suicide, it is important to stay calm. Don’t leave them alone and ask if there is anyone you can call for them.
4. Request help. It is not your sole responsibility to keep someone safe. The Suicide Prevention Hotline is not only for people experiencing a crisis but also for anyone who needs to support someone else in a crisis. Call, text, or chat using the free 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline, available 24 hours a day, in both English and Spanish.
LEARN MORE
If you’d like to learn more about Suicide Prevention resources, please consider attending the upcoming Suicide Prevention event on September 16th from 3-7 pm at the Daniel C. Vallez Family Education Center located at 7125 Mariposa St, Denver, CO 8022. Hosted by Adams County in partnership with WPS and other community agencies such as Community Reach Center and Reaching Hope, the WPS Project AWARE team will be hosting a table and facilitating activities for students/families.
As of this year, WPS now offers Mental Health First Aid and ASIST training from HR/Wellness, which both cover the conversation of suicide. Schools and departments are welcome to get in touch with msandoval@wps.org if they want to learn more. Together we can help end the stigma around suicide.
ASIST in WPS stands for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
Training Mental Health First Aid in WPS