September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. It falls within Suicide Prevention Awareness Week. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides many helpful resources—to help yourself, support others, promote best practices, and advance better public health policies. Check out AFSP’s #KeepGoing page to see what you personally can do to prevent suicide.
If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
The Sophie Fund is dedicated to preventing suicide in the greater Ithaca community. Our nonprofit organization is named for Sophie Hack MacLeod, a Cornell University student who died by suicide in Ithaca in March 2016. Working with partners, we work to promote mental health awareness and advocate for specific best practices such as the Zero Suicide Model in the Ithaca community as well as on the local college campuses.
In 2017, The Sophie Fund led the adoption of the Watershed Declaration in which 18 community mental health stakeholders pledged to intensify efforts toward saving lives and bringing hope to those struggling with suicide thoughts or affected by suicide loss. The Sophie Fund is a founding member of the Tompkins County Suicide Prevention Coalition. In 2018, the Tompkins County Legislature called on local healthcare and behavioral healthcare providers to follow the Zero Suicide Model’s systematic clinical approach to preventing suicide.
Please contact us at thesophiefund2016@gmail.com for questions about our mission or to partner in our efforts.
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