Resources

Department of Mental Health, Partners in Suicide Prevention Team (PSP Team)

Partners in Suicide Prevention (PSP) is an innovative Team through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH), Prevention and Outcomes Division – Family and Community Partnerships unit. This team, funded by Mental Health Services Act, was designed to increase public awareness of suicide prevention and reduce stigma associated with seeking mental health and substance abuse services. The PSP Team offers community education, provides best-practice training models in suicide prevention, and provides linkage and referrals to age-appropriate services. This Team participates in community events and is actively involved in building partnerships in the community and throughout Los Angeles County.

Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center (www.didihirsch.org)

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services provides free mental health, substance use and suicide prevention services at 10 centers and nearly 100 schools and community settings. Suicide prevention services including staffing of the 24/7 bilingual crisis line, crisis chat and text, bereavement survivor support groups, community education and outreach, attempt survivor support groups, school and first responder trainings, research, and crisis services as part of the Suicide Response Team.

Training Menu

Survivors of Suicide Attempts (SOSA) Support Groups

Offered by the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center these peer support groups afford individuals with shared experiences the opportunity to jointly process past events and collaboratively develop future coping strategies.

For more information call 424-362-2911. (group dates and times to be determined)

Survivors After Suicide (SAS) Counseling and Support Groups

Created for people bereaved by suicide, Survivors After Suicide addresses the special needs of people struggling with complex grief, which often accompanies a loved one’s suicide.

For more information, call 424-362-2912.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (www.afsp.org)

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention provides education, outreach and trainings in schools, in health care settings and in communities. AFSP’s annual Out of the Darkness Walks raise awareness and funds to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss. To learn about AFSP’s efforts to reduce the rate of suicide in the U.S. 20% by 2015 visit Project 2025.

Healing Conversations: Personal Support for Survivors of Suicide Loss (AFSP)

Healing Conversations gives those who have lost someone to suicide the opportunity to talk with experienced volunteers who are themselves survivors of suicide loss, and can offer understanding and guidance in the weeks and months following a suicide death. When someone contacts the program to request a conversation, they will be asked some questions about their loss, so that the program may match them with a suitable volunteer who has experienced a similar loss. They will be contacted by a peer support volunteer to schedule a conversation at a convenient time and, in the case of in-person visits, at a comfortable location of the person’s choice.

For more information contact healingconversations@afsp.org.

Los Angeles County Office of Education (https://preventsuicide.lacoe.edu)

The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) and the Center for Distance and Online Learning (CDOL) are assisting 80 school districts, several charter networks and private schools, countywide, in the development and implementation of comprehensive policies in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. The Suicide Prevention Ongoing Resiliency Training (SPORT2 ) project focuses on aligning district practices and policies with AB 2246, Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), and Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS). This will be accomplished through ongoing in-person and online trainings offered to districts. Additionally, CDOL offers Technology Enhanced Arts Learning (TEAL) which focuses on arts integration, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed practices to build capacity in arts education utilizing the same successful blended learning format to build capacity.

Teen Line – A Program of Didi Hirsch (www.teenline.org)

Teen Line is a confidential hotline for teenagers which operates every evening from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PST. The Teen Line volunteers who answer the calls, emails and texts are Southern California teenagers who have received specialized training. In addition to operating the crisis line, Teen Line supports teens through the Teen Talk App, outreach, education and trainings.

  • Call 310.855.4673 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  After hours, your call will be directed to Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Prevention Center
  • Text TEEN to 839863 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily

The Trevor Project

Phone, chat, and text support for LGBTQ youth
1.866.488.7386
www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/

Directing Change Youth Suicide Prevention Program (www.directingchangeCA.org)

The Directing Change program is a free and evaluated youth mental health and suicide prevention program.  It educates youth ages 14-25 about the warning signs of suicide, mental health, and how to help themselves or a friend by engaging them in the creation of short films on these topics. Additional services include outreach, parent engagement, and trainings to educators and districts around implementing comprehensive school-based suicide prevention policies.

To view and download free youth-created PSAs and to learn about the program visit www.DirectingChangeCA.org or www.Gallery.DirectingChange.org

Know the Signs (www.suicideispreventable.org)

Know the Signs is California’s suicide prevention social marketing campaign, intended to educate Californians how to know the warning signs of suicide, how to find the words to have a direct conversation with someone in crisis and where to reach out to find professional help and resources. 

Take Action for Mental Health (https://takeaction4mh.com/)

As part of California’s ongoing mental health movement, the Take Action for Mental Health campaign is designed to help you check in, learn more, and get support for your own mental health or the mental health of someone you care about. The primary goal for Take Action for Mental Health is to help Californians support their mental health and the mental health of people they care about. Learn more by visiting https://takeaction4mh.com/.