Lock and Talk Acknowledges Suicide Prevention Month

STAUNTON, Va. - Sept. 1, 2021 - PRLog -- September is Suicide Prevention Month, and in honor of the month, Lock and Talk is encouraging families and community leaders to raise awareness of suicide prevention. While suicide prevention and mental health are important topics to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month dedicates four weeks to acknowledge a taboo topic and discuss healing.

In Virginia, suicide deaths by firearm are historically higher among middle-aged Caucasian men. However, suicidal thoughts can affect anyone despite gender, age or race.

Mental health resources are readily available. Here's how to raise awareness of suicide prevention utilizing these resources:

• Share the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number across your social media platforms: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
• Share the following Crisis Text Line information on your social media, and with family and friends: Text HOME to 741-741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.
• Educate others on the possible warning signs of suicide for a person at risk. Click here (https://lockandtalk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Suicid...) for a Suicide Warning Signs Infographic.
• Safely secure firearms, medications and other potentially dangerous items during a mental health crisis.
• Reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking behaviors by talking openly about suicide prevention.
• Share the saying, "LOCK MEDS. LOCK GUNS. TALK SAFETY." Click here (https://lockandtalk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Lock-a...) for the Who is Lock and Talk poster.
• Get involved in events during National Suicide Prevention Week (9/5/21 – 9/11/21) and World Suicide Prevention day (9/10/21).
• Use #SuicidePrevention, #BeThe1To, #YouMatter, #SuicideAwarenessMonth, and #Hope to be a part of the larger online conversation.
• Repost, retweet and share helpful mental health resources on your social media or webpage.
• When done safely, encourage a survivor to tell their story.

Lock and Talk's partners provide free safety devices to secure guns and medications and offer free educational materials and guidelines about storing and securing lethal means. Utilize your Community Services Board (https://lockandtalk.org/about/#CSBmap) for these resources.

Let's heal and empower our communities together.

Visit www.lockandtalk.org for resources.

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About Lock and Talk

Lock and Talk Virginia promotes the importance of limiting access to lethal means for a person with suicide thoughts, and we teach anyone how to have conversations that can save lives using a variety of evidence-based skills trainings.

Since 2015, eight prevention specialists in the northern and western community mental health agencies of Virginia worked diligently to develop and implement a new community suicide prevention program. These "Founding Mothers" expanded the program across Virginia in partnership with Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.  Now, Lock and Talk is embedded in Prevention Services at Community Services Boards around the state.