Mental Wellness

People go through difficult times, and it is not uncommon to explore options to ease or stop the pain. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there is help available.

It may be surprising to know that talking to someone about suicide does not increase the risk of suicide and the conversation provides an opportunity for connection and support.

These resources can help you or someone you know find hope, get through this moment, build resiliency for later, connect to others, and learn how to help someone.

Apps

• notOK — A free digital panic button to get you immediate support via text.
  • Download the notOK app for iOS  in the Apple Store
  • Download the notOK app for Android in Google Play
• Superbetter — Playing SuperBetter improves mood and perceived social support and increases belief in the ability to successfully achieve goals. It promotes new levels of personal growth.
  • Download the Superbetter app for iOS  in the Apple Store
  • Download the Supperbetter app for Android in Google Play

Get Help Through Social Media

• Support on Social Media with Lifeline — If you are worried about someone on social media, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline safety teams, who will reach out through the social media platform to connect the user with the help they need.
• Youth Era — Youth can connect and get virtual support from peer via Twitch, Instagram, Discord or video chat through Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Guides, Infographics & Videos

• 5 Action Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain — A quick resource on how to be the one to help someone in emotional pain.
• My Mental Health: Do I Need Help? — Infographic from National Institute of Mental Health to determine if your mental health symptoms are interfering with your daily life.
• I want to Help My Teen / Young Adult: Conversation Guides — Several helpful resources by the JED Foundation.
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Older Adults — Information on the risks and how to protect older adults from suicide.
• Teen Suicide Prevention Video — Mayo Clinic video for parents which includes warning signs and how to respond.
• Warning Signs of Suicide  — Infographic and list of common behaviors of those thinking who may be thinking about suicide.

Local Resources

• Acres of Hope Youth Ranch — A youth ranch with a mission to share HOPE (Healing, Opportunity, Purpose, Education) with adolescents.
• Care Solace available for SKPS students, staff and families — Salem-Keizer Public Schools, in partnership with Care Solace, is committed supporting the health, safety, and well-being of our students, staff, and families.
• Find a Therapist — Psychology Today provides a list of local therapist based on city and zip code. Includes insurance, specialized issues, and if they offer online therapy.
• iRespect & Protect — Helps children, youth, and adults recognize their self-worth and the influence of device use on their lives. Includes tools, resources, and trainings for parents.

National Resources

• American Association of Suicidology — We are an inclusive community that envisions a world where people know how to prevent suicide and find hope and healing.
• American Psychological Association: Topic Suicide — What you can do, getting help and other related resources
• Common Sense Media — Parenting, media, and everything in between, including gaming and social media rules and dealing with online harassment. Filterable by age group.
• Jed Foundation — The Jed Foundation’s Mental Health Resource Center provides essential information about common emotional health issues and shows teens and young adults how they can support one another, overcome challenges, and make a successful transition to adulthood.
• 988 Lifeline for Service Members, Veterans, and Families — 988 has been designated as the three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 988 site has many categories of information that are helpful for those in need of support.
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center — Provides extensive information, effective prevention strategies, online library, and online training. All available for free.
• Teen Line — Provides support, resources, and hope to young people through a hotline of professionally trained teen counselors, and outreach programs that de-stigmatize and normalize mental health.
• The Steve Fund — Dedicated to supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. The Steve Fund works with colleges, universities, non-profits, researchers, mental health experts, families, and young people to promote programs and strategies that build understanding and assistance for the mental and emotional health of the nation’s young people of color. 
  • See The Steve Fund's Resources page for open courseware, podcasts and other educational materials on mental health topics
• US Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Resources —Webpage providing information on how Veterans can seek resources and support for a variety of mental health topics.
  • To learn about Teen Line and what to expect when you call see the Teen Line PSA video
  • See all Teen Line videos here

We are glad you are here visiting this site and exploring resources. We honor your courage and strength as you seek to help prevent suicide in our community.

While discussing suicide can be uncomfortable, it is essential in supporting people experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors. Our school district partners with the school community to provide hope, help, and healing.

• American Association of Suicidology — An inclusive community that envisions a world where people know how to prevent suicide and find hope and healing.
• American Psychological Association: Topic Suicide — What you can do to help, how to get help, and related resources.
• My Friend is Suicidal: What Should I Do? — By National Alliance on Mental Health
• Question Persuade Refer (QPR Institute) — With these three steps, anyone can learn how to help prevent suicide. QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. Salem-Keizer provides QPR training for all its employees.
• Seize the Awkward — Learn how to talk to a friend about suicide.
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center — Provides extensive information, effective prevention strategies, online library, and online training. All available for free.
• What To Do If You’re Concerned With Your Teen’s Mental Health: A Conversation Guide — By the JED Foundation
• Whatever Gets You Talking – Music Video —Video about reaching out to a friend about their mental health by Seize the Awkward.

The location and sites of support meetings are always changing to accommodate the participants. Here are two key sites to find out more about support groups in your area.

Willamette Vital Health

WVH offers free bereavement support groups and workshops to anyone in our community who has faced the recent death of a loved one – whether or not they used WVH Hospice or Supportive Care services. 

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (ASFP)

• Get help from AFSP — The Get Help section of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention lists support opportunities based on your needs.
  • Articles from AFSP:
    • Healing Conversations: Personal Support for Survivors of Suicide Loss
    • Practical Information for Immediately After a Loss

Other Grief & Loss/Survivor Resources

• Dougy Center Grief and Loss Support — Find support, resources, and connection before and after a death.
  • Resources specific to death after a suicide
• How to Talk to a Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family — Guides for families of preschoolers, school age children, and teenagers, by Rocky Mountain MIRECC
• OHA Resources for Crisis and Trauma Response — Oregon Health Authority provides resources for individuals, families, and professionals dealing with traumatic events.
• Suicide Loss Survivors | Alliance of Hope — Alliance for Hope has support resource information for healing and remembrance.

General Cultural Resources

• Racial and Ethnic Disparities — From the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
• Mental Health America — Mental health resources for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
• Inclusive Therapists — Find care in English and Spanish.

Asian & Pacific Islander Communities

• Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) — Advance the mental health and well-being of Asian American communities through research, professional practice, education, and policy.
• Asian American Health Initiative — Mental health resource library.
• Asian Health and Service Center — Portland-based physical and behavioral health services for Asian American communities.
• Asian LifeNet Hotline — Support in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Fujianese is offered 24-hours a day.
• Asian Mental Health Collective — AMHC aspires to make mental health easily available, approachable, and accessible to Asian communities worldwide.
• Asian Mental Health Project — Aims to educate and empower Asian communities in seeking mental healthcare.
• Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) — Community advocacy organization with opportunities for leadership development and political and community involvement.
• IRCO Pacific Islander and Asian Family Center — One-stop community center providing and promoting culturally relevant services to families.
• National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association — Promotes the mental health and wellbeing of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. NAAPIMHA strives to raise awareness of the role of mental health in an individual’s health and wellbeing. 
• South Asian Mental Health Alliance — A non-profit network dedicated to mental health awareness, acceptance, support, and empowerment. 

Black & African American Communities

• AAKOMA Project — Their mission is to build the consciousness of Youth of Color and their caregivers to seek help and manage mental health.
• Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) — BEAM is dedicated to the healing, wellness, and liberation of Black and marginalized communities.
• Black Girls Smile — Encourages positive mental health education, resources, and support geared toward young Black women and girls.​
• Black Mental Health Alliance (BMHA) — BMHA's mission is to develop, promote and sponsor trusted culturally-relevant educational forums, trainings and referral services that support the health and well-being of Black people and their communities.
• Therapy for Black Girls — An online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.
• Therapy for Black Men — Break the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness. We are here to provide judgment-free, multiculturally competent care to Black men.
• Black Mental Wellness — A community of support and knowledge. 
• Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation — Offers Black community resources, connections and support needed to break the silence and stigma around mental health. 
• Melanin & Mental Health — Connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black and  Latinx/Hispanic communities.
• National Alliance on Mental Health’s site for Black/African American — Identity and cultural dimensions.
• Southeast Addiction Center — Top 50 resources for Black men who are struggling with substance use and/or their mental health.

By visiting this site, you take a critical step toward preventing suicide in our schools and community. The resources here empower you, your colleagues, family, and friends experiencing mental health crises or suicidal thoughts. Though discussing suicide may be uncomfortable, doing so reduces stigma and connects us. Salem-Keizer Public Schools aims to provide hope, help, and partnership on the path to a healthy, resilient community.

• Common Sense Media — Parenting, media, and everything in between, including gaming and social media rules and dealing with online harassment. Filterable by age group.
• Employee Wellness — Wellness programs and resources for district staff and their families
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) — Available to District employees, this service helps people privately resolve problems that may interfere with work, family, and other important areas of life.  As Salem-Keizer staff, there is no cost to you or anyone living in your household.
• Find a Therapist — Psychology Today provides a list of local therapist based on city and zip code. Includes information on insurance, specialized issues, and if they offer online therapy.
• Jed Foundation — The Jed Foundation’s Mental Health Resource Center provides essential information about common emotional health issues and shows teens and young adults how they can support one another, overcome challenges, and make a successful transition to adulthood.
• SAHMSA Suicide Prevention Resources — Resources provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Apps

• Headspace for Educators — Whether you’re feeling inspired to connect more with your students or you’re looking for a new way to bring calm to your classroom, Headspace can help students build healthy habits that last a lifetime. Headspace offers free access to K-12 teachers.
• Superbetter — Playing SuperBetter improves mood and perceived social support and increases belief in the ability to successfully achieve goals. It promotes new levels of personal growth.

Tools & Trainings

• Calm School Resources — Free tools for resilient classrooms: 30 Days of Mindfulness in the Classroom, Self-Care Guide for Teachers
• NAMI Parents & Teachers as Allies — National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - slide show on suicide prevention in schools (for teachers). 
• National Strategy for Suicide Prevention – Jason Foundation Professional Development Series — Training modules provide information on the awareness and prevention of youth suicide. These training are suitable for teachers and any adult who works with young people or wants to learn more about youth suicide.
• Oregon Classroom WISE: Mental Health Literacy for All Oregonians — Mental health and wellbeing resources including free, online, self-guided modules for adults and youth. It includes a collection of print and video resources, guided tutorials and role plays, and interviews with youth and school personnel.
• Question Persuade Refer (QPR Institute) — With these three steps anyone can learn how to help prevent suicide. QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis. It can save lives. Salem-Keizer provides QPR training for all its employees.
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center — Provides extensive information, effective prevention strategies, online library, and online training. All available for free.
• Suicide Prevention Webinar (NAMI) — Covers the range of risk and protective factors, the warning signs, and what to do if someone may be at risk for suicide.

Videos

• Alone (video) — Video by Central High School students
• Stuck (video) — Video by Dallas High School Students