Want to help but not sure how?
Each of us can contribute to a suicide safer community. No activity is too small or insignificant.
The Suicide Prevention Activities Matrix is developed by LivingWorks Education as part of their suicideTALK awareness exploration session. The matrix is one source of information about the choices one might make to help create a suicide-safer community for themselves and others. It is recommended to attend a suicideTALK session to have a complete understanding of the Suicide Prevention Activities Matrix.
Suicide Prevention Activities Matrix
The following are examples of things anyone can do to create a suicide safer community. This is not an exhaustive list — be creative. Any activity that protects, preserves or promotes life is a step towards a suicide safer community.
Shifting Paradigms
- Reflect on your beliefs and attitudes towards suicide
- Practice reframing life circumstances in positive terms
- Celebrate special events and life in general, take pleasure in the everyday
- Identify those things that give meaning and purpose to your life (and what you can do to strengthen them)
Proactivity
- Use appropriate language when discussing suicide ie: suicide death, death by suicide, non-fatal suicide
- Enhance skills that contribute to resiliency such as problem-solving, positive methods of coping and self-soothing
- Practice caring for yourself, ask for help when needed
Reducing Risk
- Remove access to the means of suicide from your environment
- Know what your personal warning signs are, tell someone how they can recognize when you might be in trouble
- Choose who you would tell if you were in trouble
- Identify local suicide helping resources and how to contact them
Networking
- Learn suicide intervention skills (ie: safeTALK, ASIST)
- Share your personal story of suicide with others
- Let others know that they can talk to you if they find themselves in trouble
- Have a discussion with friends, family, co-workers and classmates about how you can support each other
- Network with other suicide intervention helpers
- Promote the value of learning from each other
Participation
- Volunteer with your local suicide prevention group or start a new one
- Organize and/or sponsor a suicide education workshop
- Start a conversation with your employer, school, volunteer organization about policies related to identifying and responding to those at risk of suicide
- Start a conversation with your employer, school, volunteer organization about policies related to responding to a suicide death
- Promote cooperation among local organizations
- Promote sharing of community resources
- Advocate with community leaders, politicians, funders
- Donate or raise funds for suicide prevention activities in your community
- Organize a speakers bureau
