This page has suicide prevention and support resources for both those who suffer from thoughts of suicide to those who live with someone with those thoughts. Some are national resources, others are located in the state of Virginia.
Suicide Hotlines- National & International
What really happens when I reach out to the prevention lifelines and text lines?
- USA Suicide hotline 988
- Crisis text line for US and Canada. Text HELP to 741-741
- UK: text 85258 | Ireland: text 50808
- USA Veteran’s Services 1-800-273-8255, press 1
- USA Veteran’s Text line send HELP to 838-255
- USA Crisis line for LGBTQ Youth 1-866-488-7386
- USA Crisis text line for LGBTQ Youth 678-678
- Canada Crisis Line 1-833-456-4566
- United Kingdom Crisis Line 116 123
- Australia Crisis Line 13 11 14
- All international suicide hotlines
- USA Warm Lines (peer support not a crisis line to talk to someone whose been there)
- TrevorSpace Discussion Board for LGBTQ+ support (peer support and not a crisis line)
Help Lines & Crisis Lines in Virginia
- Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) Crisis Intervention – 1-804-819-4100
- Community Service Boards in Virginia– Community Service Boards or CSBs are the behavioral health and developmental disability service connections. Find your county and call 24/7
- Virginia Peer Warm Line (Not a crisis line) 8am-9pm, 1-866-400-MHAV (6428)
How to obtain a Temporary Detention Order (TDO) in Virginia -A magistrate may issue a medical temporary detention order if an adult is incapable of making in informed decision to accept necessary medical treatment. A medical temporary detention order allows the person to be detained for 24 hours to permit necessary medical treatment for a person over 18. The police in Richmond only transport and stand by until the TDO is issued.
Signs of Suicide-What do they say? What do they do? (Source: American Foundation of Suicide Prevention)
Resources for suicide
- Speaking of Suicide with Stacey Freedenthal PhD, LCSW. Great resources and blog! Highly recommended. She has great books, too including Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts. See my interview with Stacey here.
- A collection of suicide prevention and mental health resources
- Treatments for Suicide–American Foundation of Suicide Prevention
- Suicide Prevention-Resources for Action, CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Suicide Prevention Guide for Youth and Young Adults
Non-Profit Resources for Suicide Prevention – National
- American Foundation of Suicide Prevention – AFSP
- American Association of Suicidology – AAS
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center – SPRC
- Active Minds –Active Minds is a mental health organization on colleges campuses across the US
- Trevor Project – LGBTQ Youth
- JED Foundation – Young Adults, College Campuses
- Quell Foundation – Mission to reduce the number of suicides, overdoses and incarcerations of people with mental health illness
- List of many nonprofits from Sally Spencer Thomas
Non-Profit Resources for Suicide Prevention – Virginia
- American Foundation of Suicide Prevention – National org, Virginia Chapter
- Ryan Bartel Foundation – Waterford, VA
- Mitchell Hash Foundation – Veteran suicide support, Charlottesville, VA
- Living the Dream – Culpepper, Virginia
- Sarah Peterson Foundation – Hampton Roads, Virginia
- Beacon Tree Foundation, Advocates for youth mental health and suicide prevention – Richmond, VA
- Lock & Talk Virginia– They are focused on suicide prevention and safety from lethal means
Suicide Loss- For Children/Teens
- Grief-eBook on what to say to children- Children, Teens and Suicide Loss– Dougy Center for Grieving Children and AFSP (American Foundation of Suicide Prevention)
- Grief-Article: Returning to School After a Suicide Loss: For Teens and Younger Children
- Avedum.org – The word Aevidum, which means “I’ve got your back,” was created by students after they lost a classmate to suicide. What started in one tiny school in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has now become a nationwide movement.
- See below for suicide prevention/postvention/contagion prevention resources in schools
Suicide Prevention Resources- For those living with suicidality
There are some affiliate links to some of the books that fund my passion for yachting (haha).
- Coping with an Emotional Emergency
- Suicide Safety Plan Template
- Template of a letter to oneself to prevent suicide– Self-help coping strategy
- LiveThroughThis.org– A collection of portraits and true stories of suicide attempt survivors across the United States.
- Book for suicidal persons recommended by a licensed counselor, Karla Helbert, LPC: How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person’s Guide to Suicide Prevention
- Free Book (kindle version) in the USA: How to Not Kill Yourself: A Personal Guide for Embracing Life (the author is anonymous)- Recommended by Dr. Mark Miller, College Counselor
- Book for suicidal persons who want to live: The Suicidal Workbook: CBT Skills to Reduce Emotional Pain, Increase Hope, and Prevent Suicide
- Book self-help for men: Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual: Basic Mechanics
- Podcast: From Suicidal to Inspired: Interview with Kevin Hines, Greg Van Borssum, and Matt Runnells – The Social Work Podcast. This is three men who have struggled with thoughts of suicide and how they manage these thoughts. It’s so good.
- Resources in Virginia– Numbers to call and links to resources
- Best Suicide prevention apps – Professionally reviewed apps for suicide prevention
- TrevorSpace Peer Support Discussion Board
Suicide Crisis Line Posters and Shareables
- Crisis text line images and printable posters
- More Crisis line web images and printable posters
- 8.5 x 11 Crisis text line poster for classrooms and youth spaces
Suicide Prevention Resources- Help someone who suffers
- Resources in Virginia– Numbers to call and links to resources
- One-pager on how to talk to someone contemplating suicide from AFSP (American Foundation of Suicide prevention)
- How to have a conversation about suicide– I like the podcast. Plays on any device.
- What do those contemplating suicide say?
- Suicide Resources page from Choice Mutual
- Reporting guidelines at AFSP – (the audio is excellent)
- Suicide Loss Support Groups
- Talking points for parents on Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
- My review on ’13 Reasons Why’
- Talking points and guides on how to talk to your kids about this show are on this page at the bottom
- Challenge Success Challenge Success provides families and schools with the practical, research-based tools they need to create a more balanced and academically-fulfilling life for kids
- How to “remove means” when it’s a gun. What’s legal and what’s not? (Virginia)
- Lethal Means & Suicide Prevention – National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (pdf)
- Wellness Recovery Action Plans for clinicians
Removing Means
- Means Matter Website– Guidance on the importance of removing firearms and other means someone might use to suicide
- How to remove means when it’s a firearm in Virginia – This varies from state to state but this will offer a guide for other areas
- Virginia Lock & Talk
Suicide Loss & Prevention Resources
Postvention and Prevention. These are evidence-based guides created by national organizations categorized by type.
Community/Individual Support:
- Survivor Outreach Program – Peer-to-peer support in your community
- AFSP Resources – For those who’ve lost someone to suicide
- Suicide Loss Support Groups – Find one in your area
- United Suicide Survivors International– An organization that serves as a home for people who have experienced suicide loss, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts/feelings, and their friends and families — collectively known as people w/ lived experience with suicide – to leverage their expertise for large scale change
- Alliance of Hope: For those who’ve lost someone to suicide
- More grief support here
For Faith Leaders
For Schools:
Prevention in Education
- Suicide Prevention: What Teachers Can Do– (Podcast-Cult of Pedagogy)
- Suicide Prevention: A Model Policy – (pdf) This is a very concise and thorough school policy that covers, prevention, memorials, intervention, postvention. Trevor will even consult with school districts to modify it for their state and school districts. A must to download.
- LGBTQ Training tools for suicide prevention (website)
- Avedum.org – The word Aevidum, which means “I’ve got your back,” was created by students after they lost a classmate to suicide. What started in one tiny school in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has now become a nationwide movement.
- Kevin Love Fund Resources for Teachers
- Kevin Love Fund Resources for Students
Intervention in Education
- Suicide Conversations– (Podcast): “How to talk to kids about suicide” with Dan Reidenburg on Talk to Your Kids About Anything podcast with Dr. Robyn Silverman
- Suicide Conversations-(Podcast): “How to talk to kids about Depression, Substance Abuse and Suicide,” with Anne Moss Rogers on Talk to Your Kids About Anything podcast with Dr. Robyn Silverman
- Emotionally Naked: A Teacher’s Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk includes scripts and scenarios that can help with these conversations
- Kognito has a good program on conversing with students on difficult topics
- Back to School after a Suicide Attempt
Postvention in Education
- After a Suicide, A Toolkit for Schools (pdf) A guide from AFSP for secondary schools who have suffered the suicide of one of their students
- After a suicide at a school or college. What do you do? (includes crisis respons links for a to-do list, resources, templates for emails, and more)
- Responding to suicide on a school campus (a to-do list, National School Safety & Security Services)
- Postvention: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses (pdf) JED Foundation and HEMHA (Higher Education Mental Health Alliance)
- Memorials after Suicide: Guidelines for Schools & Families (pdf)
- Memorials after Suicide: Guidelines for Schools & Families (article)
- Suicide Clusters and Contagion– (pdf)
- After a School Suicide (article) Student project to work through their own grief and connect with the family. The stories you share about our beloved dead mean the most.
- Scripts on how teachers facilitate discussion with their class after a suicide
- Support Students Grieving a Suicide Loss: 7 Important Strategies for Educators
For Healthcare Providers:
- ASQ suicide screening tool for ERs and Physician Practices (this tool takes twenty seconds)
- For clinical practices, below are links to handouts and templates for handouts used by other pediatricians/PCPs for suicide screening tools:
- Dr. Abernathy’s combined screening
- Parent handouts
- Suicide statistics – parent handout
- Suicide statistics editable handout template for physician practices– (word doc) This document has outdated stats and stats specific to Virginia that you can change based on current data. Add your practice logo in the header.
For Workplace Prevention & Grief Support:
- Make suicide prevention a health and safety priority at work (Guidelines for Workplaces)
- A Manager’s Guide to Suicide Postvention in the Workplace– 10 Action Steps for Dealing with the Aftermath of a Suicide (From AAS- American Association of Suicidology)
For Funeral Directors:
- How to Talk to Families Who’ve Lost Someone to Suicide– Free eBook
- Supporting Survivors of Suicide Loss: A Guide for Funeral Directors (because they are an integral part of suicide prevention in a community)
For Reporters Reporting on Suicide:
- Reporting on suicide– Guide on language and responsible reporting
- Guidelines from AAS, American Association of Suicidology
For Correctional Facilities:
- Suicide Prevention in Correctional Facilities– From AFSP, American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, and the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare
Suicide Prevention Training
Google your city, state, and the name of the course you want to learn more about. These evidence-based courses can be taken by mental health professionals, parents, community members
- LivingWorks Start – From LivingWorks- 90-minute online training
- Lifeline and LivingWorks ASK for identifying young children at risk for suicide
- Talk Saves Lives – From AFSP, American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. This is a one-hour primer on suicide. Call your state chapter to schedule a free presentation
- ASIST training -Two-day training for intervention and prevention
- SafeTalk – Half-day training (I am a safeTALK trainer. Reach out here if you want to schedule a training.)
- Mental Health First Aid – One-day training
- QPR Institute Online Training on Suicide Prevention
Community Suicide Prevention Events
- Out of the Darkness Community Walks
- Out of the Darkness Campus Walks
- The Overnight Walk
- Suicide Loss Survivor Day (November in cities around the U.S.)
College Suicide Prevention Resources – National
From re-entry back into college after medical withdrawal to groups that can support your student. Helpful resources for students struggling with mental illness and/or Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
- Colleges with SUD recovery programs -Most of these are aimed at addiction recovery.
- JED Foundation – Young Adults, College Campuses. Look for a JED Campus if you want to find a school that is working to prevent suicide.
- College Re-entry –This program is dedicated to helping students with re-entry into college after having withdrawn from their studies. This could be due to any issue including a suicide attempt to loss of a parent or even due to cancer treatment.
- Interactive Screening Program (ISP) from AFSP, American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. Those who exchanged anonymous online messages with an ISP counselor were three times more likely to enter treatment. This program is successfully used at many US colleges. It’s an anonymous online tool for students experiencing mental health issues or suicidal ideation. It’s anonymous until they make the choice to reach out. Advocates – Ask your college to implement this program. UCLA ISP Program
- It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health– There is a 20-minute film for incoming college freshmen and for high school juniors and seniors from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as well.
- Hold a Campus Out of the Darkness Walk– This can be for high school or college and illustrates support to those who suffer suicidal ideation
- Active Minds Chapters–Active Minds is a mental health organization at colleges across the US
emotionally naked blog posts about suicide
- How to tell someone you are thinking of suicide
- They said they’re thinking of suicide? What now?
- My son has admitted he is suicidal. What do I do now?
- Why should I stay alive when I want to kill myself? by Anna Wieder
- So you are contemplating suicide
- Why didn’t I ask, ‘Do you have thoughts about killing yourself?’
- What did Charles say prior to suicide to indicate his intentions?
- Why did he kill himself? Answering the why
- Did Charles show warning signs for teen suicide?
- What is suicide?
- Examples of reporting on suicide
- What is the ‘wrong’ thing to say to someone thinking of suicide
- The Final 48 Hours