Suicide Prevention Resources and Supports
District and School Supports
- AB 1767 Resource Guide for Elementary Schools (PDF)
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry – Teen Suicide
- San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council Resource Guide for Schools (PDF)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Suicide Prevention Awareness
- Suicide Prevention Guide for High Priority Youth Groups (PDF)
Resources for Teens and Parents
- Mental Health Thrival Kit (PDF)
- Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips for Parents and Educators (PDF) (Spanish)
- Preventing Youth Suicide: Teen Version (PDF) (Spanish)
- Suicide Prevention Awareness
- Help Guide — Suicide Prevention
- HealthyChildren.org (from the American Academy of Pediatrics) — Risk for Suicide
Crisis Hotlines and Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988/800-273-TALK (8355))
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Find more specific resources here for youth, disaster survivors, Native Americans, veterans, loss survivors, LGBTQ+, attempt survivors, Deaf / hard of hearing / hearing loss, and ayuda en español.
San Diego Access and Crisis Line
Contact the San Diego Access and Crisis Line if you or someone you care about is experiencing a suicidal or mental health crisis and needs immediate help. Trained and experienced counselors are available to provide support, referrals, and crisis intervention. The call is free and confidential. If emergency medical care is needed, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
- Crisis Line: 888-724-7240 (7 days a week, 24 hours a day)
- Live chat Monday through Friday, 4 to 10 p.m.
- TDD / TTY Dial 711
Crisis Text Line
Text "HOME" to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor. Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support via a medium people already use and trust.
Boys Town Hotline
Boys Town Hotline can be reached at 800-448-3000. The Boys Town National Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is staffed by specially trained Boys Town counselors. It is accredited by the American Association of Suicidology. Spanish-speaking counselors and translation services for more than 100 languages also are available 24 hours a day. People with speech and hearing impairments can contact them via email: [email protected].
San Diego Warm Line
San Diego residents can call the San Diego Warm Line at 800-920-9276 or 619-295-1055. Available 7 days a week 4 to 11 p.m., except holidays.
NAMI San Diego Family and Peer Support Helpline
The NAMI San Diego Family and Peer Support Helpline is 800-523-5933 or 619-543-1434. Contact the Helpline for any general information about support groups, register for classes, find resources, or speak to a friendly person who understands. The Helpline is available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Survivors of Suicide Loss (SOSL)
The Survivors of Suicide Loss (SOSL) Support Line is 619-482-0297 and has volunteers who are available to talk on the phone with you about your loss, confusion, frustration, anger, grief, or anything else you would like to talk about. SOSL also has a list of individual volunteers to call or email directly based on the type of loss (e.g., spouse, parent, child, etc.) Available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13 to 24.
- TrevorLifeLine: 866-488-7386
- Trevor Text: Text “START” to 678678
- Trevor Chat
Trans Lifeline
Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860) is a hotline available in the U.S. and Canada staffed by transgender people for transgender people. Trans Lifeline is primarily for transgender people in a crisis, from struggling with gender identity to thoughts of self-harm. 7 days a week, 18 hours a day, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.
BlackLine
BlackLine (800-604-5841) is a 24-hours a day, 7 days a week hotline geared towards the Black, Black LGBTQI, Brown, Native, and the Muslim community. However, no one will be turned away from this service. BlackLine is anonymous and confidential and can provide immediate crisis counseling to those who call upset, need to talk with someone immediately, or are in distress.
Disaster Distress Helpline
The Disaster Distress Helpline provides crisis counseling and support for anyone in the U.S. experiencing distress or other behavioral health concerns related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including public health emergencies. Call 800-985-5990 or text "TalkWithUs" to 66746 to get started. The Helpline offers 24/7 emotional support and if you have any medical concerns speak to a trusted healthcare provider.
Other Resources
- 211 San Diego
- Mental Health America of San Diego County
- National Council for Behavioral Health
- San Diego County Behavioral Health Services
- #BeThe1To are the five action steps for communicating with someone who may be suicidal are supported by evidence in the field of suicide prevention.
Apps and Web-Based Supports
"A Friend Asks"
"A Friend Asks" is a free smartphone app that helps provide the information, tools, and resources to help a friend (or yourself) who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide.
GritX
GritX is a web-based tool for supporting the mental health of adolescents and young adults by inspiring grit, finding resilience, and telling their own stories by customizing and building their own self-care toolkit.
MindShift®
MindShift® is a free, evidence-based mental health relief app. MindShift CBT uses scientifically-proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.
MY3
MY3 is an app for individuals who may be having thoughts of suicide, or who have a history of suicidal behavior. It is designed to help these individuals stay safe when they are experiencing thoughts of suicide by identifying a support system, building a safety plan, accessing important resources, getting support at times of greatest risk, and accessing the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7.
Teen Talk
Teen Talk is a free iPhone app where teens can get support for whatever they may be dealing with from a trained teen. It is a safe, non-judgmental space where you can anonymously post your issue at any time and get support from a trained teen from 6 to 10 p.m. Call 310-855-4673 or text "TEEN" to 839863.
Virtual Hope Box
The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) is a smartphone application designed for use by patients and their behavioral health providers as an accessory to treatment. The VHB contains simple tools to help patients with coping, relaxation, distraction, and positive thinking. Patients and providers can work together to personalize the VHB content on the patient's own smartphone according to the patient's specific needs.
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