Suicide Prevention & Education Resources

We have developed a curated list of resources to help you find treatment or learn more about suicide prevention.

If you are in crisis or having an emergency, call 911.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelife

Dial or Text 988, or chat online in a mental health crisis. This helpline is free and available 24/7. It doesn’t even have to be an urgent crisis, you can seek advice about mental health or warning signs.

Talking with a trained counselor at 988 can reduce distress, thereby helping individuals access their coping capacity to get further help. Counselors with 988 can also contact mobile crisis and other local crisis services and refer callers to local mental health care. Family members and other supports can also contact 988 for assistance with helping someone in distress. 

Free Resource Guides

Find our free resource guides for Suicide Loss and Navigating a Mental Health Crisis here.

For Help Finding Treatment

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services www.findtreatment.gov

Use their website to search for a treatment facility in your area. You can search by type of treatment needed and filter your search. They also include information about types of payment or insurance accepted.

NAMI Chicago Helpline 1.833.626.4244 www.namichicago.org

The Name Chicago helpline is free and confidential resource that can provide connection to the right mental health and social service resources over the phone.

Befrienders Worldwide befrienders.org

Find help in other countries. Befrienders Worldwide is a dynamic and expanding global network of 349 emotional support centers in 32 countries, spanning 5 continents. These centers are staffed by more than 25,000 volunteers who provide vital support to an estimated 7 million service users each year.

AFSP Find A Mental Health Professional afsp.org/find-a-mental-health-professional

Who is a mental health professional, and how can they help? The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides an overview, and resources for finding mental health providers in your area.

Suicide Prevention & Education

NAMI National www.nami.org

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

NAMI Chicago www.namichicago.org

The NAMI Chicago helpline is a free and confidential resource that can provide connection to the right mental health and social service resources over the phone.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) www.afsp.org

AFSP is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death.

Apps for Mental Health & Suicide Prevention

Not Okay App www.notokapp.com

A free digital panic button to get you immediate support via text, phone call, or GPS location when you’re struggling to reach out.

Stanley Brown Safety Plan Find on App Store

A safety plan is a list of coping strategies and social supports that people can use when they are in a suicidal crisis or very distressed. It helps them not act on their suicidal feelings. The plan is brief, is in the individuals’ own words, and is easy to read. It is an emergency plan for suicide crises.

Suicide Safety Plan suicidesafetyplan.app

Suicidal thoughts can seem like they will last forever - but these thoughts and feelings pass with time. This app is designed to support those dealing with suicidal thoughts and help prevent suicide.

Virtual Hope Box Find on App Store

This app is designed of ruse by patients and their behavioral health providers as an accessory to treatment. It helps with coping, relaxation, distraction, and positive thinking.

For Survivors of Suicide

Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) www.catholiccharities.net

A safe, non-judgmental environment for counseling and support to individuals grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide. Through LOSS, they compassionately accompany survivors on their grief journey.

Alliance of Hope https://allianceofhope.org

Created by suicide survivors for survivors. They offer a place for healing, support, and remembrance for those who are coping with devastating loss to suicide.

Suicide Prevention FAQ

  • If they say yes,when asked if they have a plan to take their own life, this is an immediate crisis. Remaining calm, take your child to the nearest children’s hospital or hospital emergency department. If the child refuses to go, call 911.

  • If your child has anxiety, depression or suicidal ideation but no specific plans, contact your pediatrician, therapist, nearby child behavioral hospital, or school counselor/social worker for assistance in how to best help your child.

  • -Noticeable changes in eating or sleeping habits

    -Extreme weight loss or weight gain

    -Withdrawal from family or friends

    -Talking, writing, or drawing about killing themself, even jokingly

    -No longer enjoys activities or hobbies that they once did

    -Giving away prized possessions or money

    -Doing worse in school and extreme drop in testing scores

    -Agitation, restlessness, distress, crying, or panicky behavior

    -Drastic personality changes

    -Sexual promiscuity, truancy, and vandalism.

    -Unexplained or unusually severe, violent or rebellious behavior

  • Talking about suicide doesn't cause suicide—but avoiding what's on the teen's mind may make that teen feel truly alone and uncared for. Tell the youngster that together you can develop a strategy to make things better. Ask if your child has a plan for suicide. If he or she does, then seek professional help immediately.