Suicide Prevention Coalition

For family or individual crisis support, call 988. In the case of immediate danger or loss of life, call 911.

Thank you for visiting the Frederick County Suicide Prevention Coalition’s website.  We hope this site can be a trusted source of local data, a repository for links to resources both local, state, and national, and a place you can stay informed about the activities of this Coalition.

What's this all about?

The mission of the Frederick County Suicide Prevention Coalition is to make Frederick County free of suicide through community collaboration rooted in suicide prevention best practices for safe and responsible gun storage, eliminating stigma surrounding suicide, and support for anyone thinking of or impacted by suicide.

Want more information?

Contact us at: SuicidePreventionCoalition@frederickcountymd.gov 

  1. Suicide Prevention
  2. Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPO)
  3. Collaborators
  4. Subcommittees 
  5. Data & Reports
  6. Suicide and Overdose
  7. Agendas & Minutes

Warning Signs of Suicide

It is important to be aware and notice the warning signs of suicide. Warning signs of suicide can vary person to person, some individuals may only display a few warning signs while other individuals may display many. Warning signs can include any of the following:

Talking about:

  • Suicide
  • Wanting to die or having no reason to live
  • Being a burden to others
  • Feeling trapped
  • Hopelessness for the future
  • Unbearable pain or guilt

Behavior:

  • Giving away items, making a will or making arrangements of affairs
  • Withdrawing or isolating from others
  • Saying goodbye to friends or family members
  • Increase in use of drugs and/or alcohol
  • Taking risks such as reckless driving, etc.
  • Displaying extreme mood swings
  • Sleeping too much or too little
  • Making a plan or looking for ways to end their lives, such as researching methods to die or self-harm

Mood:

  • Relief/Sudden Improvement
  • Shame
  • Irritability
  • Loss of interest
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Anger/Agitation
  • Humiliation

How to Talk to Someone Thinking About Suicide

Discussing suicide or asking questions about thoughts of suicide will NOT put the idea of suicide in someone’s head or push them into action

Ask

  • Be direct if you suspect they are thinking about suicide
  • Ask questions: 
    • “Are you thinking of killing yourself?”
    • “Does it ever get so tough you think about ending your life?”
    • “How often are you having these thoughts?”
    • “What scares you about these thoughts?”
    • “What do you need to feel safe?”

Be present

  • Let them know you are listening and you care
  • Ensure it does not sound like you are passing judgment
  • Encourage them to keep talking, but follow their lead and take breaks when needed

Prioritize safety

  • Help remove or limit access to lethal means

If they are in immediate danger: Stay with them. Do not leave them alone. Call 911!

Help them access help

  • Reassure them help is available
  • Help them connect with 988 by text or call
  • Help them connect with local resources

Follow up

  • Check in on the individual, even though the crisis may have passed they still will need support
  • Continue to check in on the individual over the coming weeks/months


The slides below show data from our 2022 Suicide Prevention Report. The Report is available as a pdf document under the "Data & Reports" tab above.

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  1. Local Resources
  2. State Resources
  3. National Resources

Local Resources:

The Mental Health Association of Frederick County provides information on how to access help for individuals or families, how to access help through walk-in behavioral health services and what behavioral health services are available for access. For further information, visit: fcmha.org

The Frederick Center provides information to support the LGBTQ+ community to include information on groups, events, Frederick Pride and resources. For further information, visit: thefrederickcenter.org