If you or someone you care about is in crisis and needs immediate help dial the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or call 911 for emergency response.
About Zero Suicide Jax
Zero Suicide is an aspirational, but essential goal. This movement was initially launched by the U.S. National Strategy for Suicide Prevention in 2012 with the intention of enhancing suicide care in healthcare systems across the country. It’s made a marked positive impact, but with one life lost to suicide every 11 minutes in the U.S., we need to enlist others to help. Family, friends, colleagues, bosses, teachers and coaches – we all can help prevent suicide.
Now is the time to step up and speak out. We must educate ourselves about suicide and what we can do to help. It’s a shared responsibility and why we must work to become a suicide-safer city. You can make a difference – take the pledge today.
Take the Pledge
Personal Pledge
Everyone needs someone who CARES. If someone I know is struggling, I pledge to:
Check for warning signs of suicide
Ask if they have suicidal thoughts
Reinforce that I care and listen without judgment
Establish next steps by connecting them with a professional, calling 988 or helping them create a safety plan
Stay in touch and encourage them to stay engaged with resources
Corporate Pledge
ACT now to make your company’s environment safer by taking this pledge.
To make suicide prevention a priority at my organization, I pledge to assist with one or more of the following:
Adopt company-wide training of suicide
See examples:
- Incorporate suicide prevention training into your new employee orientation process.
- Hold lunch and learn programs that educate staff about suicide warning signs, 988 and other support systems.
- Provide access to more formal paid or free trainings about workplace mental health and suicide prevention.
- Feature a regular mental health section in internal company newsletters.
Create a stigma-free process for employees to confidentially refer themselves or colleagues for suicide prevention support
See examples:
- Post information about suicide warning sides and 988 access in prominent places.
- Share available behavioral resources – such as corporate EAPs – regularly during team meetings
- Adopt sick leave policies that include mental health leave
- Encourage the development of employee resource groups to serve as touchpoints for employees who need support
Take on the role of peer advocate within my organization, personally reaching out if I’m concerned about a colleague’s well-being
See examples:
- Check in with a coworker after a tough day.
- Share the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline resource with a friend or coworker.
- Directly ask someone if they are thinking of suicide if you see them struggling.
- Volunteer to serve on an employee resource group focused on mental health at your organization.
Be Informed and Ready to Help
Almost 50,000 people in the U.S. died by suicide in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Florida Health Charts reports that 176 people took their lives that same year in Duval County alone. Even one life lost to suicide is one too many. Together we can work toward zero suicides by educating ourselves on the warning signs and lending our support to someone who is struggling.
Warning Signs
Please reach out with your support, if you notice someone who:
- Seems hopeless about the future
- Withdraws from family and/or friends
- Displays severe or overwhelming emotional pain or distress
- Exhibits drastic mood or behavior changes such as:
- eating or sleeping a lot more or less
- using drugs and alcohol more often
- engaging in self-harm behaviors (with or without intent to die)
- Acts in ways that suggest tying up loose ends such as giving away important items, creating a will or making comments that feel like “goodbyes”
- Engages in risky behaviors such as driving extremely fast, substance misuse, unsafe sexual activity
- Collects pills or buys a weapon
- Talks about, researches or makes plans for suicide (it is vital to take this seriously)
If you notice any of these symptoms in yourself, please call 988 for support.
What to Do
If you suspect someone is considering suicide, it is important to take immediate action. Please familiarize yourself with these communication techniques and proven best practices for intervention. For more in-depth information, including sample scripts of what to say, download our fact sheet.
1. Ask Direct Questions
If someone exhibits suicide warning signs, remain calm and gently but directly ask them if they are considering suicide. Contrary to what many people think, this will not put the idea in their head or lead them to take their own life. It often comes as a relief, opening a door that allows them to share their pain. If possible, ask follow-up questions about whether they have a plan, how they were considering doing it and if they’ve tried to end their life before. This not only provides them with the opportunity to talk through their feelings, but it also supplies you with valuable information that may help you offer better support.
2. Listen without Judgment
Although it’s tempting to try to change their outlook, your job is to keep them safe and listen without judgement. That means not pointing out all the good things in their lives, applying guilt about how upset their family would be, telling them that other people have it worse, or implying they don’t mean what they are saying. Simply let them know you care and practice active listening. Learn more about what to say when they do want feedback here.
3. Remove Dangerous Items
If the person you are helping has items that could be used to end their life – such as pills or a gun – and you can safely remove them, do so. Multiple studies have shown that eliminating access to lethal means is a very powerful way of reducing suicide. This is because the time span between considering suicide and attempting it is often short. If they have a gun, or something else that puts you both in imminent danger, call 911 immediately.
4. Call 988 (or 911) If Necessary
If you have any reason to believe the person you are helping is in imminent danger of harming themselves, it’s critical to get them professional help quickly. If they have a firearm, have already taken medication, or it is a life-threating situation, 911 is the best way to proceed. Otherwise, call the Suicide & Crisis Line at 988 as they are specifically trained to assist the person who is struggling and the person trying to help.
5. Stay and Make Connections
Do not leave the person you’re helping alone. And do not agree to keep it a secret. If they were experiencing something extreme with their physical health – like a heart attack – you wouldn’t leave them or not tell their family, the same holds true here. Share the responsibility of providing support by helping them build a safety net of personal and professional resources.
6. Help Create a Safety Plan and Follow Up
Once the person you care about is past the initial danger, it’s critical to stay engaged. One way to do this is by helping them create a safety plan and then follow up with them to ensure the strategies are working for them. A safety plan is a resource they use when they are feeling vulnerable. It contains helpful information including warning signs that indicate they are starting to have suicidal thoughts, coping strategies and distractions they can implement, trusted people they can contact when in need, and ways they can make their environment safer in the moment. Just being there for them and checking in matters as suicide risk can remain high until a crisis passes. Also, research has repeatedly shown that increasing connectedness can reduce suicidal thoughts.
Testimonials
Incorporate Best Practices at Your Workplace
The average employed American spends more time working than doing anything other than sleeping. And data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human services showed that 76% of U.S. workers report experiencing at least one symptom of a mental health condition each year. The workplace is a key space to make changes that can help improve mental health and prevent suicide. It’s not only a human thing to do, but it also improves the bottom line. Employees who are supported in their mental well-being perform at higher rates of productivity, have reduced absenteeism and cost their employees less in general health care. In fact, according to National Safety Council for every $1 employers invest in mental health treatment, there is a $4 return in improved health and productivity. Please take this opportunity to learn more.
1. Evaluate Where You Are Now
The first step to changing is to take an honest look at where your company’s strengths and weaknesses lie when it comes to addressing employees’ mental health. Look beyond your employee manual to examine your company’s culture and analyze the types of training you provide management through a mental health lens. Explore what tools, such as Employment Assistance Programs, you do or don’t have. There are plenty of free and paid scorecards that will help you assess where your company currently stands and give you ideas about how to level up.
2. Address Common Fears
Employers – big and small – worry that even with the best intentions, when it comes to mental health they may do something that triggers a lawsuit or makes doing business more difficult. Resist using these “what ifs” as an excuse to avoid change, and educate yourself instead. Explore information from the Workplace Suicide Prevention & Postvention Committee, which outlines the most common corporate fears and their suggested answers. You’ll find answers to questions like “will mental health or suicide prevention training be too expensive or expose us to liability?” and “If I grant an accommodation to a particular employee now, will I have to grant it to everyone else later?” You’ll also find ideas for reasonable ccommodations for people living with mental health conditions.
3. Adopt New Mental Health Training Initiatives
When it comes to mental health education, every company is starting from a different place – the key is committing to elevating what you’re doing. Organizations that have no formal mental health training in place can start slow by inviting speakers from mental health nonprofits to speak, or by taking advantage of free or low-cost online training courses. Companies that already have mental health trainings in place for management should consider adding new components or expanding them company-wide.
4. Create a stigma-free environment and referral process
Studies show that including mental health a part of your company’s culture pays off with employees who felt supported being half as likely to report symptoms that last five to 12 months. While it may feel overwhelming to launch a new process, consider starting slow by including mental health articles in your internal company newsletter, posting warnings signs of suicide and information about 988 in common areas and holding lunch and learns about mental health issues. More formal processes include regularly promoting the mental health resources available through the company’s health insurance plan, organization EAP programs and including mental health days in sick leave policies. Most importantly, ensure new employees and existing employees know it’s okay to discuss their mental health with human resources without worrying about confidentiality or job changes. Be sure to create a simple process for them to also identify someone else about whom they may be worried.
5. Empower Your Employees to Become Peer Advocates
With more than 47 million people in the U.S. having some sort of mental health condition and their friends and families being touched by it, most people have some personal, lived experience with mental health issues. There are likely employees working for your company who would be open to serving as peer advocates to other staff that may be struggling as long as they have the support from management and some education about it. Consider starting an Employee Resource Group (ERG) to champion mental health issues and support others. The American Psychiatric Association’s Center for Workplace Mental Health offers a free Mental Health Guide that provides a wide range of ideas that supports this concept and more.
1. Evaluate Where You Are Now
The first step is to assess your company’s capacity to address employees’ mental health. Look beyond your employee manual to examine company culture and analyze the types of mental health training you provide. Explore tools such as employee assistance programs (EAPs). Free and paid scorecards are available to help assess where your company stands and provide ideas about how to level up.
2. Address Common Concerns
Creating positive change necessitates proactively working through any concerns corporations may have. The Workplace Suicide Prevention & Postvention Committee, outlines common corporate questions about liability, training and accommodations and provides answers, case studies and ideas for implementing different mental health initiatives.
3. Adopt New Mental Health Training Initiatives
When it comes to mental health education, the key is committing to implement consistent wellness practices. Organizations with no formal mental health training can start by inviting mental health nonprofits in to speak or by using free or low-cost online courses. If you already have training in place for management, consider expanding it company-wide.
4. Create a stigma-free environment and referral process
Integrating mental health into your company culture improves employee well-being and supports increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. Start by including mental health articles in newsletters, posting suicide warning signs and 988 information in common areas, and holding lunch-and-learn events. Promote resources like health insurance plans, EAP programs and sick leave policies that include mental health days. Ensure employees know they can discuss mental health with HR without worrying about confidentiality or job jeopardy. Develop a process for sharing concerns about struggling colleagues.
5. Empower Your Employees to Become Peer Advocates
With more than 47 million people in the U.S. living with a mental health condition, many employees have lived experience. Some may be open to serving as peer advocates once educated about suicide. Consider starting an employee resource group (ERG) to champion mental health. The American Psychiatric Association’s Center for Workplace Mental Health offers a free Mental Health Guide with a variety of ideas.
Want to play a more prominent role in affecting powerful change?
Consider joining the Zero Suicide Jax Steering Committee, which is focused on increasing participation in the movement and making strides in quality improvement. Please email your contact information to info@zerosuicidejax.org with the subject line: Steering Committee.
Businesses That Have Taken the Pledge
Be a Zero-suicide Advocate!
One of the keys to eliminating suicide is removing the stigma of talking about it and mental health issues. Please share your commitment to the cause on social platforms and more. We’ve made it easy.
