September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness month, a month where mental health advocates, survivors and allies come together to promote suicide prevention awareness and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. While September may be coming to an end, we can continue to advocate for mental health awareness all year. With the help of GUIDE, Inc. , Gwinnett United In Drug Education, we have put together a few ways you can continue to support the cause. 

One of the best ways to support suicide prevention is by helping raise awareness for support systems like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Raising awareness can take many forms. It can be personal, reaching out to a family member, friend or coworker who needs emotional support, letting them know someone cares about them. It can also be more general, like making a social media post about the 988 Lifeline. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) offers downloadable social media graphics and videos. These posts can reach people struggling with invisible battles and save a life without you ever knowing it was at risk. 

If you’re looking for more hands-on involvement, then you can sign up for one of GUIDE’s free monthly training programs . They offer two virtual programs, Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) and Youth Mental Health First Aid. QPR walks you through the three simple steps that can help prevent suicide. Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed for adults who frequently interact with adolescents, such as teachers, parents and coaches, to prepare them to help them through mental health problems and substance abuse. 

One month out of the year is not enough; if we want to prevent suicide then we must dedicate ourselves to looking out for and reaching out to our neighbors all year long!