Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is AFSP’s flagship suicide prevention education program that covers the scope of this leading cause of death, what the research has found to be the warning signs and risk factors of suicide, and the strategies that prevent it.

 In 2024, this presentation was refreshed based on feedback from presenters, content experts, and people with lived experience, resulting in a more inclusive presentation and design with additional strategies and examples for how to have a conversation about suicide.  The 45-60-minute presentation may be tailored for more targeted audiences in a variety of settings (e.g. LGBTQ+ communities, older adults, firearm owners, workplaces, etc.) and is available in-person and virtually.

Topics covered include:

• Scope of the Problem: The latest data on suicide in the U.S.
• Research: Information from research on what causes people to consider suicide, how certain communities are impacted by suicide differently, as well as contributors to suicide risk
• Prevention: An understanding of the protective factors that lower suicide risk, and strategies for managing mental health and being proactive about self-care
• What You Can Do: Guidance on warning signs and behaviors to look for, how to start a conversation with someone you are concerned about, and ways to seek and offer support and crisis resources for yourself or others.
• For additional information about some of the topics covered in Talk Saves Lives, please visit: Risk factors, protective factors, and warning signs and What to do when someone is at risk.

Contact your local chapter or visit our Program Calendar for information about events in your area.

Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention for the Latinx and Hispanic Communities (available in English and Spanish) is a community education presentation that addresses mental health, suicide, and its impact in the Latinx and Hispanic communities in the United States. This module of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Talk Saves Lives program focuses on:

• Protective factors, risk factors and warning signs specific to Latinx and Hispanic communities
• Racial and systemic factors that contribute to barriers in seeking help and suicide risk in Latinx and Hispanic communities
• How participants can take care of their communities and speak with family and friends about suicide and mental health
• Steps to take to seek culture-specific mental health resources in Spanish and English

Participants will receive helpful education in mental health and suicide prevention through activity-based learning, and take-home materials to use if needed in the future. The goal of this new program is to create conversations in Latinx and Hispanic communities around mental health and encourage help-seeking to prevent suicide and suicide attempts.

Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention for the Latinx and Hispanic Communities was created in collaboration with the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) and experts at AFSP. This partnership is the first of its kind at AFSP and in its effort to provide education on culture-specific factors of suicide and expand suicide prevention programming to diverse communities.

Contact your local chapter to learn more.

AFSP’s Talk Saves Lives has long been one of the country’s leading suicide prevention education programs, covering the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight this leading cause of death. The newly updated module of this essential program, Talk Saves Lives™: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention in the LGBTQ Community gives participants essential and lifesaving understanding of topics including:

• Suicide risk and its unique considerations in LGBTQ communities
• Recognizing suicide risk factors and warning signs for LGBTQ people
• Protective factors that can help lower the suicide rate
• The latest research related to LGBTQ suicide prevention
• How to seek and offer support for yourself or others
• Crisis resources and services for the LGBTQ community 
• What communities can do to support LGBTQ people

We all have a role to play in preventing suicide, and those in the LGBTQ community may face additional challenges and barriers to help because of discriminatory factors. This new program informs more people of the best ways to provide caring and support to those who need it.

Talk Saves Lives: Firearms and Suicide Prevention is a standardized suicide prevention presentation developed for the firearms community. These presentations may be delivered at an event held at a firearms club, retailer or association, or to firearms safety course instructors.

Incarcerated individuals are particularly vulnerable to suicide, for a variety of complex reasons. Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention in the Correctional Environment provides corrections staff with information about what can be done to create a safer environment for people in custody, as well as providing a better understanding of resources available to help them take care of their own mental health.

This presentation covers suicide prevention information that is applicable to corrections staff working with people who are incarcerated, as well as their role as co-workers in an industry that has high rates of suicide compared to U.S averages. Following the presentation, participants will be be able to:

• Describe the scope of the problem of suicide in general and in the correctional environment
• Explain key research findings
• Recognize suicide risk factors and warning signs
• Demonstrate how to seek and offer support for themselves and others
• Explain how to access crisis services for themselves and others

Find Talk Saves Lives events by visiting our Program Calendar.