Four KC-area agencies that offer suicide prevention and mental health resources
Often, we don’t know we need a resource or service until…we need it. The basement floods, you do some research, make a few calls, and the situation is on its way to resolution.
When the need is a matter of life or death – when the need is suicide prevention – there isn’t time for research. You want to know who to call immediately.
Get to know these local agencies and their suicide prevention resources
Blue KC meets suicide prevention head on with awareness, conversation, and action. We recently talked with four local mental health agencies we encourage you to get to know.
Call, text or chat 988 if you are thinking about suicide, having mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need to talk. You’ll connect with a crisis counselor who provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources.
It’s been four years since youth mental health was declared a national emergency*. Even before that time, teen-led Zero Reasons Why® had been hard at work on factors that contribute to teen suicide, like the stigma surrounding mental health and a lack of community support. Zero Reasons Why also advocates for more comprehensive, earlier mental health education. Teens, educators, health professionals, parents/caregivers can all get involved.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Kansas City
NAMI of Greater Kansas City promotes mental wellness, builds acceptance in the community, and gives hope to people affected by mental health conditions. NAMI guides people to support in times of crisis, facilitates support groups, provides mental health education, and serves as an advocate for Kansas Citians. Contact them for help if you struggle with mental health issues or if you are a family member or caregiver of someone who is struggling.
Secure & Protect promotes responsible firearm ownership and aims to increase mental health awareness in the gun-owning community. Born of the reality that firearms are the most used method of suicide in the U.S., Secure & Protect works to reduce firearm-related crisis through projects including distributing gun safes and, through the Armory Project, partnering with gun shops to offer voluntary firearm storage to help prevent firearm-related suicide.
*AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, October 19, 2021
