SEPTEMBER is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

SEPTEMBER is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Did you know: In 2021, 48,183 people died by suicide in the United States. That is 1 death every 11 minutes (data from CDC.gov).

The Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP), administered by Medfield Outreach and supported by The Medfield Foundation, invites the Medfield community to participate in September’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In an effort to raise awareness, reduce stigma, educate and prevent death by suicide, we are promoting prevention efforts with a variety of initiatives during the month of September. New members are always welcome. Please email medfieldoutreach@medfield.net if you would like more information about the coalition.

Please look for the many businesses around town that will be participating in Suicide Prevention Awareness Month by displaying purple lights, the colors associated with suicide prevention. We suggest you show your appreciation by supporting those businesses. Medfield residents can also participate by hanging lights or tying a ribbon of the same colors around a light post, mailbox, fence, anywhere you see fit on your property. Let’s demonstrate how much we care by uniting and showing our support for those who have been touched by depression and suicide.

In addition to the purple lights, be on the lookout for purple ribbons tied on some of the utility poles in the center of town. On each, there will be a laminated card with a scannable QR code for resources and additional information about mental health and suicide prevention.

Come find us at Medfield Day on September 23rd from 10am - 4pm. We will be at booths 46 and 47. Come say hello, meet Medfield Outreach staff, and benefit from our resource sharing and giveaways.

In recognition of the mind-body connection, Medfield Yoga Studio will lead an outdoor yoga session. The class will be led by Tracy Buckley, on Sunday, September 24th at noon on the Medfield High School turf. This class is free and open to all ages and abilities. Please bring a yoga mat, towel and a water bottle.

MCSP is offering free suicide prevention training called QPR: Question, Persuade and Refer. Learn the steps to help prevent suicide and offer hope to those who may be struggling. QPR training is approximately 90 minutes in length and available to residents 18 and older. Please email to learn more: medfieldoutreach@medfield.net

MCSP and the Medfield Public Schools work in partnership to fund the William James INTERFACE Referral Service. Interface is a referral helpline for individuals across the lifespan, available at no cost to Medfield residents. Call 888-244-6843 (toll free) Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9 am-5 pm, or Tuesday/Thursday from 8am-6pm to consult with a mental health professional about resources and/or receive personalized, matched referrals, or visit their website at: interface.williamjames.edu/community/medfield. If you would like to make a donation please visithttps://account.venmo.com/u/medfieldfoundation (Please specify MCSP with your donation).

All month long, MCSP will be offering facts and resources on our social media sites:

https://www.facebook.com/medfieldcsp and the Medfield Outreach Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages:

https://www.facebook.com/MedfieldOutreach

https://twitter.com/MedfieldOutrch

https://www.instagram.com/medfieldoutreach/?hl=en

Mental Health Emergency Resources and Helplines:

Emergency Call: 988

https://988lifeline.org/

Riverside Community Care: 24 Hour Emergency Services Program 1-800-529-5077 or 1-781-769-8674

Samaritans: Call anytime 24 hours/7 days per week (877)870-4673. http://samaritanshope.org

Call2Talk: HELPLINE: (508) 532-2255. A text line is also available: 2-1-1 https://www.uwotc.org/call2talk