Suicide Prevention Programs to Receive $12 Million in Federal Funding
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are working hard to prevent and reduce suicide in the United States. We have published their official news releases below as we strive to connect Oklahoma with the work government does every day to improve mental health and substance absuse services across the nation.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Suicide Prevention Month
September marks National Suicide Prevention Month – a month to remember the lives lost to suicide, the millions of people who have struggled with suicidal ideation, and acknowledge the individuals, families, and communities that have been impacted. It is also a time to raise awareness about suicide prevention and share messages of hope.
How You Can Help
Educate yourself and others about suicide prevention: Learn the warning signs and risk factors for suicide, how to support someone considering suicide, and familiarize yourself with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Visit the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC): Each year, the SPRC creates a resource full of ways to get involved in Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Here is the resource for 2023 (PDF | 236 KB)!
Read and share SPRC’s new resource: Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth: A Resource Guide for Professionals, Families and Communities.
Statement from Secretary Becerra on National Suicide Awareness Month
This National Suicide Awareness Month we are reminded that suicide is preventable, and no one should go through a crisis alone.
It is distressing to note that, in 2021, per the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, roughly 12.3 million adults and 3.3 million adolescents had serious suicidal thoughts. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that suicide was the second-leading cause of death of youth and young adults. These data underscore the need for action.
Recognizing the urgency of this issue, SAMHSA continues to support the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and consistently invests millions in suicide prevention initiatives. In fact, SAMHSA will award nearly $12 million to the Zero Suicide in Health Systems program next week. This ambitious program aims to comprehensively integrate the Zero Suicide intervention and prevention model across various health systems with the express aim of reducing suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and deaths due to suicide.
But no program exemplifies our work to prevent suicide better than 988, the three-digit Suicide & Crisis Lifeline which HHS launched in collaboration with the states in 2022. Close to $1 billion has been invested in 988, and, thanks to 988, Americans are now connected with trained counselors that offer real support in times of crisis. Since the July 2022 launch, 988 has received more than 5.5 million calls, texts, and chats, and this July, text and chat were made available in Spanish.
In the end, what these programs, initiatives, and investments come down to is saving lives and helping people thrive. Because, again, no one should go through it alone. Confidential help is available, and together, we can prevent suicide.
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