The 2012 National Strategy of Suicide Prevention (NSSP) states that the first goal of suicide prevention is to promote awareness that suicide is a public health problem. Better awareness that suicide is a serious public health problem results in knowledge change, which then influences beliefs and behaviors. Among NSSP’s primary aims are to promote opportunities and settings to enhance connectedness among persons, families, and communities.
Connectedness is a common thread that weaves together many of the influences of suicidal behavior and has direct relevance for prevention, which is among the protective factors for suicidality. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines connectedness as the degree to which a person or group is socially close, interrelated, or shares resources with other persons or groups: connectedness between individuals; connectedness of individuals and their families to community organizations; connectedness among community organizations and social institutions.
Crisis Support Services of Alameda County (CSS) has provided comprehensive suicide prevention and intervention services in Alameda County for over 40 years, through our 24-Hour crisis line, our counseling programs for those at highest risk for suicide, and through our Community Education Program. Our Community Education Program serves as one of the many linkages between our agency and those in the community who are in a position of helping. Our program aims to foster connectedness and hope.
Mission
To prevent suicide through training and education within the community. We work to dispel the myths and combat the stigma surrounding suicide by talking about it openly. By raising awareness and giving people the knowledge and skills to recognize suicidal behavior and provide safe and effective intervention, we can save lives.
Fees
We ask for an honorarium as a suggested guideline for in-service training fees; however, the program operates on a sliding-scale basis and no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. All workshops provided to schools in Alameda County are FREE.
Teens for Life: School-Based Suicide Prevention
The aim of this program is to provide comprehensive suicide prevention for our youth by training youth, teachers, school mental health counselors, and parents.
Learn MoreCommunity Trainings
These workshops train community members to recognize suicide warnings and connect a person to help.
Learn MoreMental Health First Aid
As an agency, we establish and maintain vital linkages to the community by remaining visible through participation at school and community health fairs.
Learn MoreFunded by Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services through the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63)
