New Partnership Between Facebook, SAMHSA and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Cross-posted from Facebook Safety
Dr. Regina Benjamin is the 18th Surgeon General of the United States. As America’s Doctor, she provides the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the healt
h of the nation.
For anyone who has lost a loved one due to suicide, it is one of the most painful issues they will ever face; sometimes leaving an overwhelming sense of doubt, guilt, and silence enfolding the circle of friends and family like no other experience can. In the wake of this tragedy, we are painfully forced to question- What could I have done? Could I have made a difference? Why didn’t I know?
We don’t have a life to lose in this world. We must confront suicide and suicidal thoughts openly and honestly, and use every opportunity to make a difference by breaking the silence and suffering. Ten years ago the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention was launched. Its objectives galvanized the country around a common goal. As a result, we have advanced the science and support for suicide prevention programs nationwide. New suicide prevention work has emerged across the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services and others. One notable achievement is the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a number that can be dialed anywhere in the United States to connect the caller with confidential and expert help.
To accelerate the action needed to prevent suicide, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius launched the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention with the charge to advance and update the National Strategy. The Action Alliance brings together public, private and nonprofit partners to engage every sector of society with a vision of ending the tragic experience of suicide in America.
Facebook is an important part of that partnership, and I’m excited about the new initiative to augment its response to potentially suicidal members by offering the opportunity for a private chat with a trained crisis representative from the Suicide Prevention Lifeline in addition to providing the Lifeline’s phone number. This service will be available to people who use Facebook in the United States and Canada. The new service enables Facebook users to report a suicidal comment they see posted by a friend to Facebook using either the Report Suicidal Content link or the report links found throughout the site. The person who posted the suicidal comment will then immediately receive an e-mail from Facebook encouraging them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or to click on a link to begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker.
Preventing suicide is everyone’s business. Nearly 100 Americans die by suicide every day, and in the past year, more than eight million Americans 18 or older had thought seriously about suicide. As members of a family, a school, business, neighborhood, faith communities, friends, and our government, we all need to work together to solve this problem. We simply can no longer allow those we live, work and play with to ever believe that suicide is an acceptable solution even in the worst of times. I ask everyone to help by learning about the symptoms of mental illnesses and substance abuse, the warning signs of suicide, how to stand with and support someone who is in crisis, and how to get someone you care about the help they need. Most of all, we need to be open to talking about these issues in our communities. Once we begin to support those in need, and whenever possible treat their mental and substance use disorders with the same urgency as any other health condition, we will reduce the rates of suicide, advance health and improve the use of limited health care dollars.
Learn more about the partnership between Facebook, SAMHSA and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: http://1.usa.gov/t00eiH
This sounds like an awesome idea! While many will say it’s an invasion of privacy, Suicide Prevention is everybody’s responsibility. I support this program and I hope it turns out to be a successful one.
One of my ministries is Suicide Prevention… if my small participation in this prevention could be of service… conatct me 24/7… 365. Uncle Ronnie In Christ Jesus
I am a certified christian counselor, retired chaplian and dir. Good Samaritan Ministries of the La Pine basin here in the high desert of Oregon.
This could make a huge difference in helping save lives. Thanks sooo much.
My experience with Suicide Prevention is with the poor… people depressed and NOT with Internet, Cell Phones and at times TV… the interest for a person of contact by word of mouth or other survival means used by such in need… for I hve made myself available thru a local news paper ad and word of mouth… for 24/7 availability here in La Pine, alone. If you would give attention to this personal need, we together may save another one… In Christ Jesus. My experience considers several years training in addiction recovery and suicide prevention… so don’t take my words to be with out expeience! uncle Ronnie In Christ Jesus
Finally, acknowledgement about mental illnesses without judgement, or indifference. I pray that those who suffer in silence ( myself included) open their mouths and make use of this website. If you do not understand the pain, the loneliness, the isolation, the vortex & darkness that surrounds a person in the throes of depression (or anything else affecting one’s mental health and daily living), try something new and attempt to cultivate empathy and visualize yourself in the shoes of the sufferrer’s, &…wherewith a miracle arises, and your own eyes suddenly open to the silent cries of the sinking person too weak to ask for help…DON’T JUDGE, RATHER, EDUCATE YOURSELF. JUST THINK-YOU COULD POSSIBLY SAVE THE LIFE OF YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING. BE KIND.
I need some information is spanish could you help me please to get it
Tobias Romo » Please email us at NewMedia@samhsa.hhs.gov with more information on what you are looking for and we’ll try to direct you to the most appropriate resources.
It is wonderful that you have this going with Face Book, Can you come up with a FB ad that is short and sweet instead of rambling. FB posts are usually a 5 – 15 word headline then a BRIEF synopsis with a link for more info.
I usually have comments on each thing I post like this, but no one commented.
The nature of FB is that you get max info in about 10 seconds, then if it appeals you read more. I think you missed the mark here.
Again I think this is a wonderful tool, Thank you to all involved <3
Nicky » Great recommendation. We will work on sharing this on our Facebook page with fewer words so its easier to share. We appreciate your support and willingness to pass the word along.
This is a great partnership! I’ve had discussions with treatment facilities about what to do when someone sees a suicidal status or comment. This gives people a tool to help. My question is how will people be educated on where to find (and how to use) these reporting links? Will it be obvious or do you have to know about the report links?
I am a high school counselor and wanted to let you know how excited I am about this new service that Facebook is providing to help prevent suicides. Our school community has been directly affected by suicide and each year as a counseling staff we see an increase in students attemping or verbalizing thoughts of suicide. Many of these reports come from staff members or students who have read something on a student’s facebook post. Our department will be announcing this new service to our students & staff and encouraging them to make reports directly and immediately when they view a post that raises a red flag, via the report link found through the Facebook site. Thanks again to all those involved in launching this new service that I truly believe will save lives.
Thank you for all you do. I have personnaly first hand been involved with someone very close to the edge of no return and we had a break through. I think she is closer everyday to her new life. People like this need to surround them self with support,they need your help plase don;t ever stop doing what you do. Thank you Angela Anderson
social media should help to solve social problems.
I think that this is a wonderful new tool available to people in the throws of depression, increasing stress, or impulsive and reactive behavior. I work in an emergency/crisis unit and it is alarming to see the number of people, particularly young people, who view suicide as an option when problem solving!
In response to “Uncle Ronnie” – Suicide knows no socioeconomic boundaries! My experiences have been with suicides from high class, upper middle class, middle class, and so forth. It does NOT solely live among the poor. Suicide is a tragedy that effects us all!
I wish these organizations had been around in 1980 when my first suicide occurred with my first brother. We were left with nothing except silence and no support. The second suicide occurred in 1999 with my nephew, and the third occurred in 2000 with my eldest brother. Still, there was limited support. I searched for support at this time and was shocked to find not much of anything. I’m very glad to know that these organizations have been developed for those in desperate need of support and most importantly, comfort. It is amazing how quickly your friends fade away when you need them the most.
Great partnership! this will save many lives. Children nowadays view their image online as everything and they are very vulnerable to cyber bullys. Sad to see what our society has become. I am very sure that this partnership will help many people, thank you for your service.
Talking about suicide is such a delicate topic, and in Alaska, some smaller communities have difficulty with their outreach because everyone is related – so I support this additional tool that can be used for those reaching out for help. Thank you so much. I get about 70-80 hits a day because the people in Alaska know I deal with suicide on a daily basis.
It’s sounds like really wow… I totally agree with @Regina Kohlmann.
Now a days, Facebook is one of the most popular social site. There’s a lot of ways to do in Facebook and one of it is to guide all of us about this kind of issue regarding suicide. By this, we become more careful and wiser to be a good person.
I am so happy to see this. I wrote a paper for school on a similar idea, and it’s good to see I am not the only one in favor of using the internet as a resource for preventing suicide.
To ” Nicky”… Your comment is no applaud for the new initiative on faceboo. Instead, it was a thoughtless, illogical statement….You’d rather a “synopsis” of SUICIDE PREVENTION? Then, apparently, you have no need to follow what that prevention launch stands for. Think…would you put a limit on somebody’s cry for help? Think before you state potential hurtful suggestions…
LIKE!!!!!!!!!
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I have said many times, there are so many things shoved under the carpet (the carpet being the stigma and taboo attached to suicide) we need the wood floor, we need to be able to share our concern with someone who can guide us to resources to make a change in our thought process. Help us get rid of the thick carpets on the floor, thank you for making this site available.
I was told once, you cannot “save” a person but what we can do is to give them a “choice” – time for a positive change!!
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