As a public health issue, we all play a role in suicide prevention in our community and in our own families. The following are resources for parents, guardians, caregivers, and other chosen family members who may be concerned about a loved one.
Online Resource
One of the more difficult challenges of parenting is realizing that you don’t always know what your children are thinking and feeling. You may be aware that suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescence, but you can’t imagine your child might become one of those statistics. When do the normal ups and downs of adolescence become something to worry about? How can you know if suicide is a risk for your family? And if you are worried about it, what can you do? If you find yourself asking some of these questions, you’re not alone. Although youth suicide is a relatively rare phenomenon, thoughts of suicide are not. Source: The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
Useful Links from The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
- I am Worried About My Child. Where do I start?
- Talking to Your Kids About Suicide
- After an Attempt
- The Immediate Crisis Is Over – Where Do We Go From Here?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Referral to Mental Health Services
Community Support for Families and Caregivers
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
When a friend or family member develops a mental health condition, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Many Americans have experienced caring for a person with mental illness. One in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental health condition. Mental health professionals have effective treatments for most of these conditions, yet in any given year, only 60% of people with a mental illness get mental health care. As a result, family members and caregivers often play a large role in helping and supporting them. Millions of people have experienced the thoughts and questions you might be having now. – Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness
The Family Education and Resource Center (FERC)
The Family Education and Resource Center (FERC) is a new family/caregiver-centered program that provides information, education, advocacy, and support services to family/caregivers of children, adolescents, transitional age youth, adults, and older adults with serious emotional disturbance or mental illness living in all regions of Alameda County. These services are provided in a culturally competent manner, reaching out to people of various ethnicities and language groups. Source: The Family Education and Resource Center