--- title: "Suicide Prevention: Know the Signs, Start the Conversation" description: September is Suicide Prevention Month. This month highlights the importance of understanding prevention and knowing where to find reliable resources so you can be prepared. image: https://blog.usfhp.net/hubfs/undefined-Sep-16-2026-01-35-21-2570-PM.png --- [![](https://usfhp2.knockmedia.dev/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/logo-1.png)](https://blog.usfhp.net/) - [About Us](https://usfhp.net/about/) - [Events & Webinars](https://usfhp.net/events-and-webinars/) - [Contact Us](https://usfhp.net/contact/) [Members](https://member.usfhp.net/) [Providers](https://provider.usfhp.net/) - [Members](https://usfhp.net/members/) - [For Members](https://usfhp.net/members/) - [Members Login](https://member.usfhp.net/) - [Care Management Program](https://usfhp.net/care-management-program/) - [Health Centers](https://usfhp.net/health-centers/) - [Member FAQs](https://usfhp.net/member-faqs/) - [Providers](https://usfhp.net/providers/) - [For Providers](https://usfhp.net/for-providers/) - [Providers Login](https://provider.usfhp.net/) - [Become a Member](https://usfhp.net/eligibility/) - [Eligibility](https://usfhp.net/eligibility/) - [Health Benefit Consultants](https://usfhp.net/health-benefit-consultants) - [Plan Benefits](https://usfhp.net/plan-benefits/) - [Tricare Prime Coverage](https://usfhp.net/tricare-prime-coverage/) - [Enrollment](https://usfhp.net/enrollment/) - [Members](https://usfhp.net/members/) - [For Members](https://usfhp.net/members/) - [Members Login](https://member.usfhp.net/) - [Plan Benefits](https://usfhp.net/plan-benefits/) - [Care Management Program](https://usfhp.net/care-management-program/) - [Health Centers](https://usfhp.net/health-centers/) - [Providers](https://usfhp.net/providers/) - [For Providers](https://usfhp.net/for-providers/) - [Providers Login](https://provider.usfhp.net/) - [Webinars](https://usfhp.net/webinars/) - [Contact](https://usfhp.net/contact/) - [Enrollment](https://usfhp.net/enrollment/) - [About](https://usfhp.net/about/) - [Provider Login](https://provider.usfhp.net/) - [Member Login](https://member.usfhp.net/) ### Contact - - - # Weekly Health Tips # Suicide Prevention: Know the Signs, Start the Conversation Posted by [USFHP](https://blog.usfhp.net/author/usfhp) on Sep 29, 2026, 11:00:01 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) **![](https://blog.usfhp.net/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-16-2026-01-35-21-2570-PM.png?width=1920&height=1079&name=undefined-Sep-16-2026-01-35-21-2570-PM.png)** Image Credit: [Canva](https://www.canva.com/) September is Suicide Prevention Month. This month highlights the importance of understanding [prevention](https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/prevention/) and knowing where to find reliable resources so you can be prepared. Suicide is complex, and there is no single cause or experience that applies to everyone. Learning more can help reduce stigma and make information and support easier to find. **What Is Suicide Prevention?** [Suicide prevention](https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-suicide-prevention-day/2026) includes education, mental health care, safety planning, and crisis services. These efforts address different needs, from ongoing care to an emergency. Prevention also includes steps taken before a crisis. The focus is not only on responding to an urgent situation. It also gives people ways to manage difficult moments and stay connected to care. **Why Open Communication Matters** [Conversations](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/5-action-steps-to-help-someone-having-thoughts-of-suicide) about suicide do not require you to decide what someone is going through. They can begin by giving a person space to speak, and listening to what they choose to share. You do not need to solve the problem or decide what should happen next. Taking the conversation seriously and listening without judgment keeps the focus on the person speaking. If the situation becomes urgent, crisis services can provide guidance. **Understanding Safety Plans** A [safety plan](https://www.mirecc.va.gov/MIRECC/visn19/safety-planning/index.asp) is a practical tool for someone who may experience a mental health crisis. It is created ahead of time and outlines steps that a person can follow if it becomes harder to think clearly or make decisions. Having a plan in place means those steps do not have to be figured out during a difficult moment. There is no single format for a [safety plan](https://www.samhsa.gov/resource/988/build-safety-plan-video). One example might include ways to cope, people the person trusts, professional contacts, crisis information, and ways to make their surroundings safer. Another plan may look different based on the person’s needs. The plan can be kept somewhere easy to access and updated when needs change. **Support and Resources** The [988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline](https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/resources/) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calling or texting 988 connects you with a trained crisis counselor. The counselor will listen, ask about what is happening, and help decide what to do next. You can also contact 988 if you are concerned about someone else and need guidance. 988 provides crisis support. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if there is immediate danger. Knowing which resources are available and when to use them can make an uncertain situation easier to navigate. Help is always available, and no one should have to face a mental health crisis alone. By: Jacqueline Russo Topics: [suicide prevention](https://blog.usfhp.net/topic/suicide-prevention) [![](http://usfhp2.test/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Group-1774.png)](https://blog.usfhp.net/) To provide the highest quality health care for uniformed services family members, retirees, and their family members. - - - [Contact Us](https://blog.usfhp.net/) [Member's Portal](https://blog.usfhp.net/) Provider Quick Links - About - Resources - FAQs - Videos [Provider's Portal](https://blog.usfhp.net/) Member Quick Links - [Enroll](http://usfhp2.test/enrollment/) - Benefits - Locations - Webinars --- TRICARE is a registered trademark of the Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency. ©2022 All rights reserved. website by [knockmedia](https://knockmedia.com)