S6 E2: Congregations Can Help with Suicide Prevention

Please note: this episode contains conversation related to suicide. Feel free to pause or stop listening if you need to and seek personal support of a friend or loved one. If you find yourself struggling with suicidal thoughts please reach out to a professional and/or call 988.

Col. Glen Bloomstrom joins Matt Burke and Shellie Riggs Jordan from the Center for Congregations to talk about how congregations can be places of support and help in suicide prevention. Glenn has worked extensively with the US military as a chaplain and consultant and is now the Director of Faith Community Engagement at LivingWorks Education.

Resources

Centre for Suicide Prevention (organization)

Centre for Suicide Prevention safeTalk Training

LivingWorks (organization) - provides training including Safe Talk, LivingWorks Faith and LivingWorks ASIST

QPR Institute (organization)

Mental Health First Aid for Youth (training)

Saving the farm: Heartland clergy train to prevent agriculture workers' suicides (AP news article)

Americans Are in a Mental Health Crisis - Especially African Americans. Can Churches Help? (article)

988: National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

The Essentials of Suicide Prevention: A Blueprint for Churches by Karen Mason (book)

Preventing Suicide: A Handbook for Pastors, Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors by Karen Mason (book)