Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center Observes September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
#BeThe1To
Sept. 1, 2022 (IOLA, Kan.) – Suicide doesn’t discriminate. Suicide doesn’t care whether you’re young or old. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that suicide is the 12th leading cause of death overall in the United States with an average of 130 suicides daily. All month mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies and community members, including Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, are observing September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Organizations and communities will create awareness with tools and resources to empower people to make a difference and save lives. Special attention comes on World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) and during National Suicide Prevention Week (September 4-10) to share resources and promote suicide prevention awareness.
Many activities are planned throughout the region during the month of September. SEK Mental Health Center will be joining the effort by distributing awareness ribbons and bookmarks to area schools and local libraries, along with an active social media campaign.
How can Southeast Kansas Participate in other ways?
- Use #BeThe1To1: Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center encourages community members to be the one to make a difference. Students, teachers, neighbors, coworkers, parents, friends – we can all be the one to listen, persuade and help. Use #BeThe1To in social media posts about suicide prevention awareness and tag SEK Mental Health Center. Also, feel free to post wearing your suicide prevention ribbon or the colors teal and purple in support of awareness.
- Connect: Reach out to loved ones to show them you care. Check in through a text or a quick phone call just to say, “How are you?” or “Thinking of you!”
- Know the signs and have the conversations: Learn the signs of mental health crisis or suicide indicators. It can feel awkward, but it’s essential to engage with those you see in distress. Learn more about the signs of and risk factors for suicide2.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline3, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, is now an easy-to-remember 24/7 resource for reaching trained crisis counselors who can help with suicide, mental health and substance use-related crises. (988 replaces a longer and harder to remember 10-digit phone number.) Much like calling 911 in an emergency, people in crisis or those having thoughts of suicide may call or text 988 for immediate assistance during anytime of the day or night.
About Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center
The mission of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center is to provide, advocate and coordinate quality mental health care, services and programs for people in its service area. Our vision is to improve the qualify of life in southeast Kansas. We offer services and programs in the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Linn, Neosho and Woodson. Our core services include outpatient psychiatry, therapy, consultation, chemical abuse counseling, case management, educational and skill-building groups, specialty training, physical healthcare coordination and 24/7 crisis intervention services. For more information, visit www.sekmhc.org.
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