There are excellent programs already in place that help people and communities learn how to respond to youth and college students who are dealing with suicidal behavior or circumstances that may trigger suicidal thoughts.
Visit our Training Programs for a full list of Project LIFE Gatekeeper Trainings.
Child Development Community Policing Program (CDCP) offers statewide immediate post-trauma counseling and follow-up care to youth and their caretakers to help them cope with the aftermath of violent and traumatic experiences. For referral information, call (302) 576-3183.
Survivor of Suicide Support Groups Survivors of Suicide(SOS) are individuals who lost a loved one to suicide. You can find SOS support services through the following agencies:
Mental Health Association or (302) 654-6833
Supporting Kidds or (302) 235-5544
Veterans Programs: On July 3, 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs launched a pilot on-line Chat Service, in partnership with Lifeline. The Veterans Chat Service is located at the VA National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Veterans Chat enables Veterans, their families and friends to go online where they can anonymously chat with a trained VA counselor. If the chats are determined to be a crisis, the counselor can take immediate steps to transfer the chatter to the VA Suicide Prevention Hotline, where further counseling and referral services are provided and crisis intervention steps can be taken.
The online feature is intended to reach out to all Veterans who may or may not be enrolled in the VA health care system and provide them with online access to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and provides Veterans with an anonymous way to access VA’s suicide prevention services.
Veterans (and family members or friends) can access Veterans Chat through the Lifeline suicide prevention website.
The Veteran retains anonymity by entering whatever name they choose once they enter the one-on-one chat. They are then joined by a counselor who is trained to provide information and respond to the requests and concerns of the caller.
Chat responders are trained in an intervention method specifically developed for the Chat to assist people with emotional distress and concerns and we have procedures they can use to transfer chatters in crisis to the Hotline for more immediate assistance. If the Veteran is in crisis, the counselor will encourage the Veteran to provide a phone number, so that further crisis intervention and referral can be provided.
Since becoming operational, VA’s Suicide Prevention Hotline has received more than 150,000 calls, resulting in 4,000 rescues.
Questions can be addressed by calling:
Kent Johnson LCSW
Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Wilmington VAMC
(302-275-5676)