Recapping Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
As the calendar turns, September’s focus on Suicide Prevention Month may conclude, but the work—and the hope—continues. This past month, our community came together with incredible energy, compassion, and dedication to share life-saving information and break down the stigma surrounding mental health. We are deeply grateful to everyone who participated in our various events, workshops, and awareness campaigns. Let’s take a moment to look back at the powerful steps we took together and reaffirm our commitment to a year-round culture of support and connection.
Events
We started honoring the month early, with our Behavioral Health Coordination Meeting focused on suicide prevention, specifically in regards to youth. We shared some alarming statistics about the rise in youth suicide, but also how we can all be involved to recognize warning signs and build protective factors in children, young adults and families. Our wonderful presenters, with the Department of Public Health and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, both brought expertise and wisdom to our attendees. Thank you to Cobb and Douglas Public Health and Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid for your combined efforts towards this meeting. And thank you to Tommy Nobis Center for hosting and Newport Healthcare for sponsoring!
On September 4th, we came together with Cobb Parks & Recreation to host an event that recognized Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. “You Are Loved” was an impactful evening of connection, hope, and honoring. Cobb Parks invited community members leading up to the event to paint wooden hearts that were then put along a trail at Big Shanty Park. At the event, attendees were able to walk along the trail to view the hearts and even add more. We were so grateful to our vendors, NAMI Cobb and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Additionally, we had the honor of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to speak at this event. Thank you to all who participated!
The following week, we presented at the Cobb Business Women’s Association Meeting on Suicide Prevention. It was a great opportunity to educate community members and professionals on 988, suicide prevention, and provide resources as well.
Later in the month, we had a Kindness Rock Painting Event and had several families show up. They were able to paint their own Kindness Rocks and choose to take some home and take some out to the community, to spread kindness. Kindness Rocks are a great activity to spread positivity and kindness for community members, as well as allowing an opportunity to prioritize mental well-being.
988 Day
On September 8th, we acknowledged the 2nd annual 988 Day. This growing tradition raises awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the continued need for mental health support, with each year focusing on a different theme.
The 2025 theme was “Compassionate Help. Anytime. Anywhere.” This theme conveys the heart of what 988 is all about – empathy, accessibility, and reliability. The more than 15,000 counselors working across the 988 network continue to help reduce barriers and stigma around seeking support for mental health challenges, alcohol and drug use problems, emotional distress, or loneliness.
We had great collaboration with partners on 988 Day and also did a social media campaign, which you can find here. Thank you to all who participated!
We also were honored to receive a proclamation for 988 Day, along with key partners, from the Cobb County Board of Commissioner’s. We received this along with other key partners in this mental health and suicide prevention work, including Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Cobb County 911, Cobb County Police Department PATH, Cobb County Fire Department CARES, and Highland Rivers. We are so grateful for the recognition and support. This work could not be done alone, it takes a community to prioritize mental well-being.
In addition to all of our wonderful and impactful events, we hosted 2 QPR Trainings, one virtual and one in-person, that were presented by The SAM Foundation. QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention is a 75-minute educational program designed to teach lay and professional “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond. Gatekeepers can include anyone who is strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide (e.g., parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, caseworkers, police officers).
The process follows three steps:
Refer the person to appropriate resources.
Question the individual’s desire or intent regarding suicide.
Persuade the person to seek and accept help.
We had many attendees at both trainings and they were informative opportunities to acknowledge September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and carry it forward to the rest of the year. Thank you to participants and partners!
The most powerful takeaway from this month is simple: Every conversation matters, every moment of genuine connection is an act of prevention. As an organization, we are proud of the work accomplished, but we also know the real impact happens one person at a time. Commit to one small act this week: reach out to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, prioritize your own mental health, or share a helpful resource on social media. Suicide prevention is possible, and it starts with all of us. Let’s keep the door to hope wide open.
