Hotline volunteers help people cope with mental health crises

Connecticut colleges are implementing QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training to teach students how to recognize suicide warning signs, ask direct questions like "Are you thinking about suicide?" and connect peers to professional help. Since 2022, over 1,000 people have been trained through Connecticut Children's Youth Suicide Prevention Center alone, with hundreds more trained at individual campuses like Southern Connecticut State University.

Anxiety, suicidal ideation, and depression are all alarmingly prevalent amongst Americans. Crisis Text Line lets you text immediately with a crisis counsellor when you need someone to talk to. The organization is growing and 86% of users report that the conversations are helpful.

After the pandemic, many teens are still opting for telehealth therapy rather than in-office care. Telehealth makes therapy more accessible for those who need it, particularly through collaboration with mental health platforms like Daybreak that partner with school districts across the U.S. to provide access to virtual therapy in schools. Daybreak’s data shows that 92% of families see behavioral improvements and 80% of school staff see attendance and grade improvements in students who participate in therapy.

New Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics provide mental health services to all residents with a diagnosed mental health condition. Fees are based on income and insurance coverage, using a sliding scale discount program to help remove the financial barriers that often prevent those in need from seeking care.

A middle school in New Hampshire has piloted a program that focuses on dividing the school into different wings and offering classes on "mental wellness, conflict resolution, and healthy ways to communicate" with the goal of better addressing the emotional wellbeing of students. The outcomes have been promising thus far, with students reporting improved effects on their mental health.

Creating a more compassionate working environment helps lead clinicians suffering from depression, trauma, or burnout, to seek care. The University of California San Diego’s medical system has piloted several approaches. Code Lavender encourages small acts of intentional kindness toward co-workers. Caregiver Support Teams identify peer mentors that can provide emotional support and help struggling colleagues.

Faculty and staff at Philadelphia’s LaSalle University are being given crisis training to recognize, engage, and refer students with suicide ideation. With the number of students seeking mental health care increasing, this program expands the safety net of people students can reach out to in a time of need.

The Confess Project trains barbershop workers in black communities about creating pathways to talk about mental health and recognize and respond to signs of a mental health crisis. This training expands mental health services—especially culturally competent services—and parlays what is often a close, trusting relationship to raise awareness and provide an effective intervention.

In Kenya, rates of suicide are increasing and cost of help is not attainable for many, so volunteers are stepping in to fill the void. From a hotline to educating religious leaders and police officers to on-the-ground "gatekeepers" who are trained to recognize signs of suicidal behavior, communities are joining together to prevent suicide.

Building connections between teenagers and their community is an important step in suicide prevention among youth. The CODY Project recruits adult and teenage volunteers to hold mental awareness training at 4-H club and other community meetings. The Project seeks to open up communication, working as a bridge between teens and community partners.