Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to share resources and learn how you can help. Today is also World Suicide Prevention Day.

Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 11 to 18. It’s also preventable.

Our Helping, Engaging, Reconnecting and Educating (HERE) Now program is a school-based program to help educate, prevent and heal. In collaboration with North County Lifeline and South Bay Community Services, HERE Now is now active in 116 schools in 22 school districts in San Diego County.

Together, the partners served 38,928 youth last year, creating a safer place to learn with suicide and bullying prevention for 7th to 12th graders.

School-based suicide prevention programs can play an important role in connecting students with important mental health information and tools, as well as provide training for teachers and other staff who work closely with them. Services include classroom presentations, individual assessments of students, parent education and training of school staff.

Evidence also shows that providing support services, talking about suicide, reducing access to means of self-harm and following up with loved ones are just some of the actions we can all take to help others. We need to talk openly about mental health and normalize mental health conversations in families, schools and communities.

Learn more about suicide, the warning signs and our suicide prevention services.