top of page

September is Suicide Prevention Month,Find Resources and events

  • Writer: avdailynews.com
    avdailynews.com
  • Sep 10
  • 4 min read

ree

Palmdale, CA.- September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness, promote prevention resources and support families and communities impacted by suicide.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In 2023, more than 49,000 people died by suicide and in the same year, there were an estimated 1.5 million suicide attempts.


Here in Los Angeles County, the impact is deeply felt. In 2023, 875 Los Angeles County residents died by suicide, including 112 youth between the ages of 10 and 24. Suicide was the third leading cause of death among the County’s youth that year.1 For every suicide death, there are many more suicide attempts treated in hospitals and emergency rooms. During 2023, over 3,800 Los Angeles County residents, including over 1,600 youth, were treated for self-harm injuries.2

This year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed September 8, 2025, as “9-8-8 Day” in Los Angeles County. The 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides immediate, confidential support for people in distress. The Board also proclaimed September 2025 as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. By recognizing these dates, the Board underscores the importance of raising awareness and encouraging residents to seek help when they or their loved ones are experiencing a mental health crisis.

Suicide is preventable. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) remains committed to working with our county and community partners to support education, awareness and prevention. Our efforts include:

  • Implementing the Youth Suicide Prevention Pilot(YSPP). With funding support from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the YSPP engaged county and community partners in the development of strategies to rapidly identify youth suicide deaths and attempts, and to develop effective responses for youth and families after a suicidal crisis. While grant funding ended in 2025, the Department of Public Health continues to work with the Department of Health Services to enhance the One Degree digital referral platform to connect youth and families with mental health providers including those offering suicide crisis response, prevention, and postvention services. Thirty agencies are receiving closed-loop referral licenses, streamlining referrals and improving care.



  • Supporting peer loss support groups. The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) Youth Suicide Prevention grant is supporting the continuation of youth loss peer support groups in SPA 1 and SPA 2, which were initially launched with CDPH YSPP funds. These groups are actively recruiting participants, with the goal of starting sessions in mid-to-late September. Additionally, OVP is in the process of scheduling a series of capacity-building trainings and workshops focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention awareness, beginning in late September. OVP will kick off the series with a Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) workshop.



  • Continuing the care coordinator initiative. A new funding opportunity has been identified to reinstate the CDPH YSPP care coordinator initiative at DHS Emergency Departments, offering a key opportunity to strengthen post-discharge care coordination for youth at risk who have received inpatient or outpatient treatment for suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt. Implementation strategies and potential challenges are currently being assessed.



  • Development and launch of the "Los Angeles County Youth Suicide Deaths and Attempts Dashboard." This dashboard provides data on suicide deaths and attempts among Los Angeles County youth ages 10-24 years. The goal of the dashboard is to make data publicly accessible in an easy-to-use format to increase awareness and support future prevention efforts. You can access the dashboard through OVP’s Open Data Portal under the Youth Suicide Section.

We all have an important role to play in suicide prevention. By learning the warning signs and having open conversations about mental health we can help save lives. If you or someone you know demonstrates any of the following warning signs. Please access the suicide prevention and mental health resources the resources listed below.

Know the Signs – Pay attention to the following signs:

  • Sudden changes in mood or behavior

  • Loss of interest in hobbies or social activities

  • Choosing to isolate or withdraw from others

  • Researching or creating plans to die (including acquiring means such as medications, guns, etc.)

  • Talking about feeling hopeless

  • Saying goodbye or giving away possessions

  • Engaging in dangerous or extremely risky behavior

  • Increased drug or alcohol use

How to Respond – What to do if you are worried:

  • Ask them directly if they are considering suicide.

  • Express concern, including any warning signs you have noticed.

  • Listen carefully and acknowledge the challenging feeling they are facing.

  • Ask them about what has helped them cope in the past.

  • Share resources and create a safety plan.

  • Reduce access to lethal means.

  • Maintain a connection.

  • Practice your own self-care after difficult conversations.


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page