"We all need to be aware of what's going on with the Z's. They are our future, we need to do everything we can to help and the first step is awareness. Let’s all be aware of the signs for help." Sonya Ruff Jarvis

September has been designated as Suicide Prevention Month to help build awareness around ways to PREVENT suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people. Every 90 minutes a teen or young adult dies by suicide; and, for every death there are 15-25 additional attempts. These statistics come from the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry division of child and adolescent psychiatry. The source is credible and the stats are real.

Did you know there are ways you can help prevent suicide? The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has created at #BeThe1To campaign. All of the following suggestions and tips are directly from The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline campaign #BeThe1To:

Ask & Listen - be open to talk about suicide and really listen to the person.
Be There - be pesent and unconditionally support the person.
Safety - keep the person safe; and/or make sure there is a safety plan.
Connect - connect the person to support and ongoing resources.
Follow up - don't forget about the person; make sure you follow -up and see how he/she is doing!

Just like we discuss difficult topics like sex, drugs, alcohol with our children, I believe we should also have conversations around suicide. While it may not be for your child, what about your child's friend who is struggling? It is our responsibility to teach our children what to look for and to share with parents and/or a trusting adult if they see and/or feel that something just isn’t right. Like, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline there are other really great suicide prevention organizations like The Jed Foundation.

The JED Foundation was started by parents who son died by suicide in college. They have a wealth of information and resources to support and protect the mental health well-being of teens and young adults; including, in-school programs for both colleges and high schools.

As Giving Tuesday,*(the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) approaches please consider donating to these two great organizations. They are doing great work spreading awareness around suicide prevention; because it can be prevented but we first have to know that emotional distress exist in our loved ones and friends.

*Jarvis Consultants nor Sonya Ruff Jarvis has no connection to these organizations other than recognizing the meaningful contribution that they are doing to help teens and young adults.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is a Business & Marketing Consultant; Content Creator & Connection-Maker; Thought Leader & Industry Expert and Book Author & Entrepreneur. Areas of expertise include: Retail; Marketing; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI); and Human Resources. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 30 years. Interested in Sonya’s books? They can be found on Amazon or get an author autographed copy at www.jarvisconsultants.com.

Let’s talk about your next project and how Jarvis Consultants can support your initiatives; email sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.

www.jarvisconsultants.com