Suicide

The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention is a broad based inclusive alliance of suicide prevention advocates, including public and private agency representatives, policy makers, suicide survivors, mental health and public health consumers and providers and concerned citizens committed to working together to reduce the incidence of self-harm and suicide in the Commonwealth.

Samaritans' purpose is to alleviate despair, isolation, distress and suicidal feelings among individuals in our community; to educate the public about suicide prevention; and to reduce the stigma associated with suicide. We accomplish this through services that emphasize confidential, nonjudgmental, and compassionate listening.
The Samaritans provides a free and confidential 24-hour phone befriending line (see phone numbers above). This unique service, which is staffed by trained volunteers from locations in Boston and Framingham, provides unconditional and non-judgemental support to those who are alone, depressed or in crisis. Whatever the challenge or struggle, anyone who is suffering can find at The Samaritans a caring, empathetic ear, eager to listen and understand.
Samaritans also offers peer support services to those who have lost a loved one to suicide, including our SafePlace support groups in communities throughout greater Boston and Metrowest, and visits by trained Survivor to Survivor Network Volunteers. For a list of survivor support services, visit the website.

Samariteens is the youth peer leadership segment of Samaritans. It is dedicated specifically to the prevention of suicide among teens. Begun in 1986, this teen help line provides confidential peer support and understanding to teens who are struggling with feelings of depression, loneliness and stress. From 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, this service is staffed by volunteers between the ages of 15 and 18; outside those hours, calls are answered by adult volunteers.
There are a million reasons to feel alone. Samariteens are available to talk about any of them. Callers to the Samariteen helpline do not have to be feeling suicidal, and most callers are not. Each year, more than 4,000 callers receive support, respect, acceptance and tolerance, for whatever reason they call.

Our mission is to save lives. Together we can build resilience in our community, educate the public and strengthen the response to community need. The Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention was formed to address the higher than state average rates for self-harm and suicide here in Berkshire County. The mission of BCSP is to save lives. Together we can build resilience in our community, educate the public, and strengthen the response to community need. Please see our News and Events Pages for more information about our organization.
Who We Are: Volunteers from the health sector and law enforcement, educators and students, community organizers, social workers, mental health providers, policy makers, survivors of suicide loss and concerned citizens
What We Do To Help: EDUCATE about risk factors for suicide & self harm. ASSIST populations identified as being at-risk. REDUCE stigma and break barriers to self-help. PARTNER with schools, agencies, and providers. SECURE funding from public and private sources. ADVOCATE for public policy issues & budgets.
Holds public education series focusing on at risk populations for suicide on the third Wednesday of month, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm. At the Brien Center @ 333 East St. 1st floor conference room. For more information go to www.berkshirecoalition.org.

The Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention was organized in 2006 as a community response to the deaths by suicide of four young people over the previous eighteen-month period. It is a broad-based coalition reaching out to the town's diverse constituencies across the age continuum. NEEDHAM ACTS is the Coalition's website. It offers information for all ages on how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and connect with a variety of local services to prevent suicide.

The Needham Health Department offers a range of mental health services for citizens of the town. Public Health Nurses provide confidential counseling and referrals to all ages. Short-term home-based services for at-risk teenagers and their families are provided through Riverside Community Care's Alternative Youth Services program. The program includes family counseling, advocacy, information, and referral. Call the Health Department for more information on these free services. The town's Substance Abuse Prevention and Education program provides informational programs, educational resources, and confidential substance abuse support services for Needham youth, adults, and seniors. Contact Carol Read at the Health Department to find out more about inpatient and outpatient treatment, individual and group counseling, and peer support resources regarding substance abuse, addiction and chemical dependency.

This is a town-funded department which provides professional and confidential mental health services to youth and their families in Needham. It offers support, information, and direction on issues such as peer relationships, stress, grief and loss, substance use, suicide, and other concerns. Most services are free of charge. The department collaborates regularly with civic and community organizations on a variety of projects.

SANS was founded in 2002 by a group of concerned citizen bound by the shared tragedy of a loved one lost to suicide. Our mission is simple, prevent suicide. We believe education is the key to prevention so we are currently focusing our efforts on advocacy and funding for school based suicide and mental health education programs. SANS is unique in that it is the only suicide prevention organization of its kind. SANS works directly with school administrators to fund suicide prevention programs and to bring down the suicide stigma within secondary schools.
SANS primarily operate at a grass-roots level, working with schools, churches, and local organizations to raise awareness of the true nature of suicide and in turn giving organizations the tools to prevent suicide.
SANS seeks to expand services offered to organizations and works to customize offers in a sensitive and effective way. The SOS program (developed by Screening For Mental Health) has been the main program which SANS funds in the schools. Since SANS started its necessary work it has successfully reported multiple incidents of prevented suicides and represents hundreds of grateful recipients of our programs. Each program is expensive and can not be re-used, thus a donation to SANS is welcomed. For additional information please visit the website.

SPRC provides prevention support, training, and resource materials to strengthen suicide prevention networks and is the first federally funded center of its kind. SPRC provides information from suicide prevention and mental health news to strategic tools for developing suicide prevention programs. The SPRC website includes individual state suicide prevention pages, news and events, an online library, training, and links to other web sites. SPRC supports suicide prevention with the best of science, skills and practice to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP).

The Samaritans set out as a small group of volunteers aiming to reduce the incidence of suicide in the Merrimack Valley by providing “befriending†to individuals who were lonely, depressed and contemplating suicide or self-injury. In 2004, the Samaritans of Merrimack Valley joined Family Service, Inc., which now provides financial and administrative support to the Samaritans. Suicide prevention remains the primary goal of the Samaritans.The Samaritans of Merrimack Valley is also dedicated to supporting individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide. The Samaritans offers individual and group support to survivors to facilitate a healthy grieving process and help individuals come to terms with their loss. Samaritans staff and volunteers provide educational support for schools, businesses, youth and senior centers, civic organizations, faith-based institutions, and volunteer groups. Samaritans provides information to help the audience identify individuals who may be at risk, to educate them so that they can talk with a person at-risk, and to provide resources for those at risk. The Samaritans provide a crisis helpline, survivor services, outreach & education among other services.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. With more than 130 crisis centers across the country, our mission is to provide immediate assistance to anyone seeking mental health services. Call for yourself, or someone you care about. Your call is free and confidential. Para obtener asistencia en espanol durante las 24 horas, llame al 1-888-628-9454. A program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Covenant House Nineline is for kids who need to talk. Crisis counselors are available 24/7 to discuss issues around family, relationships, feelings, suicide, basic needs, abuse, health, sex, drugs and alcohol, and running away. The hotline is free and confidential. The Nineline website has information for young people on a wide range of physical and mental health topics.

Freedom From Fear is a national not-for-profit mental health advocacy association. The mission of FFF is to impact, in a positive way, the lives of all those affected by anxiety, depressive and related disorders through advocacy, education, research and community support. The website provides information on anxiety and depression along with self-screening tools for these conditions, referrals for support groups and mental health professionals, and resources on accessing treatment for those with and without health insurance.

The mission of SAVE is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce stigma and serve as a resource to those touched by suicide. SAVE's prevention and education programs are designed to increase knowledge about depression, other brain illnesses and the need for assessment and treatment as suicide prevention; increase knowledge about symptoms of depression and the warning signs of suicidal thinking and behavior; increase understanding and the use of intervention skills that can help avoid the tragedy of suicide; and increase knowledge about community resources and how to access and use them. The SAVE website includes information about the symptoms of depression and the signs that someone is suicidal, as well as tools for survivors coping with the loss of a loved one to suicide.

The Balanced Mind Foundation guides families raising children with mood disorders to the answers, support and stability they seek.
The Balanced Mind Foundation envisions a world where children living with mood disorders thrive because their families have the resources, community and support they need.

Violence is a serious public health problem in the United States. From infants to the elderly, it affects people in all stages of life. In 2005, more than 18,000 people were victims of homicide and more than 32,000 took their own life. The number of violent deaths tells only part of the story. Many more survive violence and are left with permanent physical and emotional scars. Violence also erodes communities by reducing productivity, decreasing property values, and disrupting social services. This CDC website includes information on a variety of topics related to violence prevention, including youth violence, relationship violence, and suicide.