Get Help
How Can I Help Others?
There are several ways you can help others:
- Learn the warning signs and risk factors
- Talk to them
- Be their advocate
- Connect them with help
- Offer to go with them
Scroll down for more information.
If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, help is available!
The Clermont and Brown Crisis Hotline is staffed 24/7 with trained mental health professionals.
Call (513) 528-SAVE (7283).
For more information on the signs of suicide visit the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation website.
How to Talk to Them
Ask them “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”
Research shows that asking someone if they are thinking about suicide is vital to knowing their intent. Research also shows that once someone who’s struggling with suicidal thoughts is given the chance to have an open conversation about it, they may feel a sense of relief and take the opportunity to seek help.
Keep the conversation going
If the person has answered “yes” it’s important to follow that statement up in a caring way and try to connect them with resources. If you think they’re in crisis or they express an immediate desire or plan to attempt suicide, don’t leave them alone. Do your best to connect them with proper mental health services immediately.
Below are some examples of helpful and non-helpful statements to make to someone who is suicidal.
Make observations rather than stating opinions
Ask open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no answer
Paraphrase or re-state in your own words the information they share with you
Acknowledge and validate their feelings
Ask “the” question directly and follow up on it
Be Their Advocate
Normalize the experience.
Explain that receiving counseling or other mental health services may not be what they think (lying on a couch and telling your life story, for example), and that it’s helped millions of people successfully address everyday challenges and negative thinking patterns. You might even share how mental health care helped in your own life or those of others you know.
Emphasize the Long-Term Benefits.
Let them know that effective mental health services can do more than help them overcome their current challenges; it can lead to long-term personal growth.
Let Them Make Decisions About What Services to Seek Out.
Allowing your loved one to make the decision about what services to seek out can provide them with empowerment and a sense of control. If you have personal experience or recommendations, it’s OK to provide them. But let them decide who to talk to and how to engage them. Just make sure the connection is made.
Applaud Their Courage.
Ensure them that it’s a sign of courage and strength to seek mental health care.
Connect Them With Help
- Call (513) 528-SAVE. Trained mental health professionals are available 24/7 and can assist with assuring the individual receives immediate help in a crisis, and can also assist with connecting the individual to ongoing treatment and supports.
- Crisis Text Line text 4HOPE to 741741
- Child Focus (513) 752-1555 for children/families
- Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (513) 947-7000 for adults
Offer to Go With Them
By offering to join them for their appointment you’ll likely decrease their anxiety and make it easier for them to connect with their provider. It’s a simple act, but it can greatly increase the probability that they will follow through.