September Is Suicide Prevention Month: Make Prevention Practical 

Written By Andrea Phelps

This September, make prevention practical. Learn the signs. Start the conversation. Take the training. The skills you build with Youth Mental Health First Aid and safeTALK can make all the difference on someone’s hardest day.

Every September, communities across the country come together for Suicide Prevention Month, a time to learn, listen, and take straightforward actions that can save lives. Suicide impacts many families, schools, and workplaces. The hopeful truth is that most people who think about suicide don’t actually want to die; they want the pain to stop. When caring adults and peers know what to look for and how to respond, they can become a powerful safety net.

In 2023, suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10–14 across the United States. In Cortland County, 1 in 6 teens reported seriously thinking about suicide. This level has not seen major changes since 2020, which tells us there is more we can do together to strengthen support.

Some student groups face higher risk. Females are about twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts as males, LGBTQ+ students are 294% more likely to report suicidal thoughts, and BIPOC students are 50% more likely than white students to report the same. These gaps reflect real differences in stress, stigma, and access to affirming support, and they are gaps we can close.

Talking openly about mental health reduces stigma and makes it easier for people to ask for help before a crisis escalates. Many people worry about saying or doing the wrong thing, but research shows that asking directly about suicide does not “put the idea in someone’s head.” It opens a door. If you notice sudden shifts in mood or behavior, withdrawal from friends or activities, changes in sleep or appetite, or comments about hopelessness and being a burden, trust your concern. Start with plain language, thank them for sharing, listen without judgment, and help connect them to support. You don’t need the perfect words; you just need to show up and stay with them through the next step or connect them to someone who can.

Build Skills This Fall: Two Practical Trainings

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) prepares adults who live or work with teens to notice early signs of mental health or substance use challenges and respond effectively. The course builds mental health literacy and uses an easy to follow action plan for assessing risk, listening nonjudgmentally, offering reassurance and information, and encouraging professional help when needed. Participants leave with strategies for common concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and self-injury, along with ways to link young people to school and community resources.

safeTALK is a focused, three hour suicide-alertness workshop for community members, including youth leaders and caregivers, and is available to anyone age fifteen and up. In a supportive, skills-based format, participants practice how to notice invitations for help, ask clearly and directly about suicide, listen to a person’s worries, and keep them safe by connecting them to people and services that can help.

These trainings work best together. YMHFA builds the broad foundation that helps adults recognize concerns sooner and scaffold ongoing support, while safeTALK provides the direct, in-the-moment suicide-alertness skills anyone can use. Together, they create a community where warning signs are noticed earlier, conversations are kinder and more direct, and help is connected faster.

RHI’s fall schedule aligns with Suicide Prevention Month. safeTALK will be offered on Saturday, September 27 and Monday, Septmeber 29, and Youth Mental Health First Aid will be offered on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Individuals and organizations such as schools, libraries, youth programs, faith communities, sports clubs, and neighborhood groups are welcome to register or inquire about hosting a session. If you’re unsure which course fits your role, RHI can help you choose or map out a combined training plan for your team.

Join SPEAK UP Cortland: September Events

Please consider joining SPEAK UP Cortland at any or all of the following events that support Suicide Prevention Month.

Find some chalk and a sidewalk and make a little art. Our goal is to spread messages of hope throughout the community. You could be a lucky winner of a BRU 64 gift card. Need chalk? Contact Leslie Patriarco or Mike Doughty. Supplies are limited.

If You Need Help Now

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988 or chatting at 988lifeline.org. If there is immediate danger, call 911 and stay with the person until help arrives.



Andrea Phelps
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