Our author program with Metra Farrari scheduled for Saturday, September 20th has been postponed. Stay tuned for the new date. You can still bring your current read and join us for the Great North Star Read Together from 11am-1pm!
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Although mental health and suicide prevention are important to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides a dedicated time for people, organizations, and communities to join their voices and share that there is hope, help is available, and healing is possible.
This year’s theme is “Creating Hope Through Action.” The aim of the theme is to raise awareness about how taking action to prevent suicide can create hope and save lives. To make change happen, we will need to take action to shift our culture from silence and stigma, to encouragement, understanding, and support. Each week we will highlight different ways to Create Hope Through Action.
Week 3 – Connect to Protect: Relationships Save Lives.
Often our first points of contact when we are struggling are our friends, family or colleagues. If someone you know is struggling emotionally or having a hard time, talking with them can be the difference in getting them the help they need. Talking with a loved one about mental health and suicide can be an uncomfortable and an uncertain topic, but it is also one of the best ways to prevent it. We can all take action to have these conversations with someone who may be suicidal by using the five action steps from #BeThe1To.
ASK. Asking openly and directly, “Are you thinking about suicide?” shows that you are willing to discuss suicide in a nonjudgmental and supportive manner. The other important part of this step is to listen to their reasons for their emotional pain as well as reasons that they want to continue to live. Help them focus on their reasons for living, not on the reasons that you think they should stay alive. Findings suggest that acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce suicidal ideation.
HELP KEEP THEM SAFE. After the “Ask” step, and you’ve determined suicide is indeed being talked about, it is important to find out a few things to establish immediate safety. The first question will be to ensure that they have not done something already to hurt themselves. Secondly, you will want to ask them if they have a plan and a way to die by suicide. Knowing the answers to each of these questions can tell us about the imminence and severity of danger the person is in.
BE THERE. Be physically present for someone, speak with them on the phone when you can, or show up in any other way that demonstrates support for the person at risk. If you are unwilling or unable to commit to being there, speak with them to develop ideas on who else might be able to help and how they might support. Increasing someone’s connectedness to others and limiting their isolation has shown to be a protective factor against suicide.
HELP THEM CONNECT. One way to start helping them find ways to connect is to work with them to develop a Safety Plan. You can download and print a safety plan, or you can get a copy from our library, along with other 988 Lifeline materials. A safety plan is designed to guide people through a crisis, with a goal to keep them safe and get them help. Connected people are significantly less likely to feel depressed, suicidal, and overwhelmed, while also feeling more hopeful.
FOLLOW UP. Make sure to follow-up with them to see how they’re doing. Leave a message, send a text, or give them a call. This is a great time to see if there is anything else that you can do to support them. This type of contact can continue to increase their feeling of connectedness and share your ongoing support. There is evidence that even a simple form of reaching out, like sending a caring card or postcard, can potentially reduce their risk for suicide.
Let’s use this week’s message as a starting point to get connected and have conversations. You truly never know what someone is feeling, or happens to be going through, at that moment. Be kind and encourage openness when talking about mental health and suicide. If you have a safety plan, make sure you keep it up to date with current support options and the names of people who can help you. I make it a point every year during Suicide Prevention Month, specifically World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th), to open my safety plan for review. I always hope that I will never have to use it, but it is always safe to be prepared.
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally~
Join us tonight at Meinders Community Library for Armchair Travels: Greece at 6pm.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Although mental health and suicide prevention are important to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides a dedicated time for people, organizations, and communities to join their voices and share that there is hope, help is available, and healing is possible.
This year’s theme is “Creating Hope Through Action.” The aim of the theme is to raise awareness about how taking action to prevent suicide can create hope and save lives. To make change happen, we will need to take action to shift our culture from silence and stigma, to encouragement, understanding, and support. Each week we will highlight different ways to Create Hope Through Action.
Week 2 – Reach Out: Help Is Within Reach.
It is important to find the help that is right for you when your mental health feels off. Hope and healing can come from many places and in many forms to get the support that you need. Talking about the resources available across Minnesota and in your community can help remove stigma and normalize talking about mental health and focusing on hope and healing.
People you know can be good resources to find support in your community. Talk to your friends and family, your primary care provider, or someone else that you can trust about what’s going on and what you are looking for. Sometimes it is nice to know that you are not alone in your struggle. Having peer support can be a great way to connect with others that may have similar experiences as you. This could be calling one of Minnesota’s warm lines or by attending a support group.
If you are unsure about what to do and need to talk to someone, try a local or national phone line to get assistance. They have trained counselors available to speak with you or your loved one and assist. Professional help can also make a big difference, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start, as there are many different types of mental health professionals. Ask for referrals from your friends, family, primary care physician, or other people you trust. You can contact United Way 211, 988 Lifeline, or your local mental health center to understand what resources are available in your community. Another starting point is to call the number on the back of your insurance card. They can help you identify what providers are a part of your plan.
National Suicide Prevention Week (September 7-13, 2025) is an annual week long campaign in the United States to inform and engage health professionals and the general public about suicide prevention and the warning signs of suicide. World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) is an awareness day observed in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. Encourage understanding and support, and silence the stigma around suicide and mental health.
As we come together to raise awareness, let us remember the lives lost to suicide, and celebrate the warriors and survivors who continue their healing and recovery. Unseen battles are the hardest fought battles. You are never alone in your journey. You can talk to me, even if we don’t know each other. I’ve been on this roller coaster of healing, relapse and recovery for almost 6 years. I didn’t start sharing my story openly until 4 years ago. As scary and uncomfortable as it is, sharing is caring, and caring is healing! So with that, STAY; Your story is not over and your life matters!
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally!
We are also participating in Libro.FM’s Golden Library Card giveaway this month. Anyone who signs up for a new library card at Meinders Community Library in the month of September will be entered into a drawing for six-month’s worth of audiobooks from Libro.FM! Both Emily and Jody love using Libro.FM and their mission to support local independent bookstores.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Although mental health and suicide prevention are important to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides a dedicated time for people, organizations, and communities to join their voices and share that there is hope, help is available, and healing is possible.
This year’s theme is “Creating Hope Through Action.” The aim of the theme is to raise awareness about how taking action to prevent suicide can create hope and save lives. To make change happen, we will need to take action to shift our culture from silence and stigma, to encouragement, understanding, and support. Each week we will highlight different ways to Create Hope Through Action.
Week 1 – Learn the Warning Signs: Hope Begins With Awareness.
We all have mental health and it’s as essential to a person’s life as physical health. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and shapes how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
It can be hard to tell if someone is thinking about suicide. However, there are some signs you can look for that may help you recognize if a person may be thinking about harming themselves. Warning signs can come up in conversation or through action and behavior changes. Most people who die by suicide have one or more warning signs. Think of a warning sign as an invitation to help.
What they might talk about: Wanting to die. Feeling hopeless or helpless. Having no purpose or reason to live. Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain. Being a burden to others. Suicide. What they might do: Looking for ways to harm or end their life. Increase their alcohol or drug use. Withdraw from normal activities. Change in sleep, like sleeping too little or too much. Give away possessions. What behavior changes they may show: Anxiety or agitation. Extreme mood swings. Uncontrolled anger or talking about seeking revenge. Reckless behavior.
That’s all I have for this week! Stay tuned for weekly key messages and resources throughout the month that can help you or others during a mental health crisis. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. You are never alone in your journey. Help is always available and healing is possible!
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally~
Meinders Community Library will be closed Saturday, August 30th through Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor day. Stop by before then for all your long weekend reading and entertainment needs!
Starting on Tuesday, September 2nd weekly Storytime will be at 10am.
We will still host our morning yoga and music event. Instead of out being outside in the rain, we will move it in! Please join us and start your day off on the right foot!
Join us this Saturday, August 16th at 9am for Sound Bath & Morning Stretch at Meinders Community Library. We’ll start with yoga on the greenspace for all skill levels, so bring a yoga mat or towel. Following yoga, stay for crafts and a relaxing sound bath.
