Tag Archives: Suicide Prevention Committee

12/11 – Anonymous Gun Buyback

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Anonymous Gun Buyback | Saturday, December 11 10am-2pm | 1000 Skyway Road, San Carlos

Get cash for your unused or unwanted guns. No questions asked, we do not run ballistics, and you can remain completely anonymous. Receive up to $100 cash for a handgun/shotgun/rifle, and up to $200 cash for an assault rifle.
You can find more details in this event flyer and website.

These events are important in advancing San Mateo County’s Suicide Prevention Roadmap. To help educate the community, the Suicide Prevention Committee has also contributed suicide prevention outreach materials (listed below) for this event.

Please consider sharing this event with your network in the San Mateo County community.

2022 September Suicide Prevention Month

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Today is the first day of September Suicide Prevention Month!

For 2022, San Mateo County, StarVista and partners are promoting the statewide theme of “Take Action for Suicide Prevention: Thriving at all Ages.”  To support Thriving At All Ages, Californians are encouraged to take action for suicide prevention by recognizing the importance of strengthening resiliency, protective factors, and physical and emotional wellness throughout the lifespan and at difference life stages. To learn more about the statewide theme, please visit SuicideisPreventable.org. 

Each year, San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services’ Office of Diversity & Equity, StarVista, and Suicide Prevention Committee (SPC) promote free events throughout the month of September to promote Suicide Prevention Month. All events are free and open to the public. This year events will be in-person and/or virtual.  For full list of events and other ways to support suicide prevention throughout the month, visit SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month. 

Please show your support at your next virtual meeting with one of our 2022 Suicide Prevention Month virtual backgrounds (Download them at this webpage).  

Tonight at 6pm: Music and Poetry in Observance of World Suicide Prevention Day

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🎼 In honor of World Suicide Prevention Day join us for our event tonight at 6pm, “Music and Poetry in Observance of World Suicide Prevention Day”. We will acknowledge the struggle people have with suicide through beautiful music, poetry, and stories from speakers with lived experience.

The event will conclude with a call to action to light a candle in honor of loved ones lost to suicide.

For full list of free events happening throughout this month in honor of Suicide Prevention Month, visit SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact one of these 24/7 hotlines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
StarVista Crisis Hotline: 650-579-0350
Crisis Text Line: Text “Bay” to 741-741

Suicide Prevention Week “Reconnect” Activity Challenge #5

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🕯️Challenge #5
It is World Suicide Prevention Day! Observed each year on September 10th, On this special day, complete the fifth Suicide Prevention Week “Reconnect” Activity Challenge by joining thousands of others in showing your support for suicide prevention and to remember loved ones lost to suicide by lighting a candle 🕯 🕯 🕯 near a window or sharing on social media at 8PM. Learn more at suicideispreventable.org/prevention-kit.php.

For full list of free events happening throughout this month in honor of Suicide Prevention Month, visit SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact one of these 24/7 hotlines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 
StarVista Crisis Hotline: 650-579-0350 
Crisis Text Line: Text “Bay” to 741-741
🕯️ Desafío n.º 5
¡Es el Día mundial de la prevención del suicidio! Como cada 10 de septiembre de todos los años, en este día especial, complete la quinta actividad del desafío (“challenge”) “Reconectar” uniéndose a miles de otras personas para demostrar su apoyo a la prevención del suicidio y recordar a los seres queridos víctimas del suicidio encendiendo una vela 🕯 🕯 🕯 cerca de una ventana o compartiendo en las redes sociales a las 8 p. m. Obtenga más información en suicideispreventable.org/prevention-kit.php. #SuicidePrevention #Reconnect 

Para conocer una lista completa de los eventos gratuitos de este mes en honor al mes de la prevención del suicidio, visite SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month. 

Si usted o alguien a quien conoce tiene pensamientos suicidas, llame a alguna de estas líneas de ayuda, las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana:
Línea nacional de prevención del suicidio 1-800-273-8255 
Línea directa para crisis de StarVista: 650-579-0350 
Línea de mensajes de texto ante crisis: Envíe “Bay” al 741-741

Suicide Prevention Week “Reconnect” Activity Challenge #4

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🌬️ Challenge #4
Today’s Suicide Prevention Week “Reconnect” Activity Challenge is focused on a simple, but profound coping skill: Breathing. Schedule a 10-minute ‘Breathe Break’ into your calendar and use this time to remove distractions and partake in a breathing exercise of your choice. This can be done individually, during a zoom meeting, or even as a family! Learn more at suicideispreventable.org/prevention-kit.php.

For full list of free events happening throughout this month in honor of Suicide Prevention Month, visit SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact one of these 24/7 hotlines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 
StarVista Crisis Hotline: 650-579-0350 
Crisis Text Line: Text “Bay” to 741-741
🌬️ Desafío n.º 4
Hoy, la actividad “Reconectar” del desafío (“challenge”) de la Semana de la prevención del suicidio, se enfoca en una habilidad de afrontamiento muy sencilla pero intensa: la respiración. Programe un “descanso para respirar” de 10 minutos en su agenda, y utilice este tiempo para deshacerse de distracciones e iniciar un ejercicio de respiración de su elección. ¡Esto se puede hacer de manera individual, durante una reunión por Zoom o incluso en familia! Obtenga más información en suicideispreventable.org/prevention-kit.php. 

Para conocer una lista completa de los eventos gratuitos de este mes en honor al mes de la prevención del suicidio, visite SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month. 

Si usted o alguien a quien conoce tiene pensamientos suicidas, llame a alguna de estas líneas de ayuda, las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana:
Línea nacional de prevención del suicidio 1-800-273-8255 
Línea directa para crisis de StarVista: 650-579-0350 
Línea de mensajes de texto ante crisis: Envíe “Bay” al 741-741

Suicide Prevention Week “Reconnect” Activity Challenge #3

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📚 It’s not too late to join the Suicide Prevention Week “Reconnect” Activity Challenge.  To get started download the challenge flyer and card at suicideispreventable.org/prevention-kit.php. For today’s challenge we ask that you familiarize yourself with a suicide prevention resource. Visit their website or social media page and like, share or comment to show your support for the work they do.

For full list of free events happening throughout this month in honor of Suicide Prevention Month, visit SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact one of these 24/7 hotlines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 
StarVista Crisis Hotline: 650-579-0350 
Crisis Text Line: Text “Bay” to 741-741

📚 Aún está a tiempo de unirse a la actividad “Reconectar” del desafío (“challenge”) de la Semana de la prevención del suicidio.  Para empezar, descargue la tarjeta y el folleto del desafío en suicideispreventable.org/prevention-kit.php. Para el desafío de hoy, le pedimos que se familiarice con un recurso de prevención del suicidio. Visite su sitio web o red social y haga clic en me gusta, comparta o comente, para mostrar su apoyo al trabajo que realizan. 

Para conocer una lista completa de los eventos gratuitos de este mes en honor al mes de la prevención del suicidio, visite SMCHealth.org/Suicide-Prevention-Month. 

Si usted o alguien a quien conoce tiene pensamientos suicidas, llame a alguna de estas líneas de ayuda, las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana:
Línea nacional de prevención del suicidio 1-800-273-8255 
Línea directa para crisis de StarVista: 650-579-0350 
Línea de mensajes de texto ante crisis: Envíe “Bay” al 741-741

StarVista Launches New Youth Website With Peer to Peer Chat Services

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Written by Nicole Marshall, Youth Outreach Coordinator

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           As of January 2018, StarVista, a San Mateo County community based mental health provider, is excited to announce the launching of its fully renovated youth website, OnYourMind.net. This represents a huge success as it represents an expansion of services, and is also a win for the teen volunteers who run the site and have advocated for the changes. The site focuses on mental health and suicide prevention education, offering teen blogs and instant peer to peer chat. Teens are encouraged to seek direct support on a wide range of topics including relationships, stress, bullying, depression, identity, and health. New to the site are several redesigned interactive features: blogs allow visitors of the site to ask questions and leave comments, and new chat software allows seamless connection to fully trained teen counselors Monday through Thursday from 4:30PM to 9:30PM. The best part? OnYourMind.net and its chat services are now completely mobile accessible. Read more

Mental Health Awareness Poetry Slam at Philz Coffee

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Mental Health Poetry Slam @ Philz Coffee in Westborough
Mental Health Poetry Slam @ Philz Coffee in Westborough
Mental Health Poetry Slam @ Philz Coffee in Westborough

The room was filled with a standing audience at the first Mental Health Awareness Poetry Slam at Philz Coffee in Westborough on Friday, November 17 6:00-8:00PM.  District 5 Supervisor David Canepa, the Office of Diversity and Equity’s Filipino Mental Health Initiative (FHMI) and Chinese Health Initiative (CHI) hosted this event and plan to host more on an ongoing basis. There were youth and adults who shared their poems and many shared very personal lived experience with mental health, addiction and suicidal ideation. The room was filled with not only people but courage from the poets and support from the audience.

Written by Sylvia Tang, Co-Chair of Suicide Prevention Committee

Learn more about suicide prevention at: smchealth.org/suicide-prevention