Todd Waite Legacy Foundation for Suicide Awareness

About

Suicide Awareness - Blessed are those who morn for they will be comforted Matthew 5:4

Description

HAVE YOU BEEN TOUCHED BY SUICIDE?
You don’t have to suffer alone.

THERE IS HELP IN THE WEST MICHIGAN AREA.

This Facebook page lists people, places, and organizations that will give you
HELP HOPE RELIEF SUPPORT COMFORT STRENGTH UNDERSTANDING

Just as CPR has been promoted to save lives, it is vital that the general public knows how to recognize suicide risk and prevent suicide. Here are some steps:
1. Notice if the person appears quiet and withdrawn, oversleeps, has crying episodes, has loss of appetite and energy, appears dishevelled, the gaze is downward, the voice tone is flat, consistently negative comments, irritability, or says things like, "Life's not worth living," or "I hate my life," etc.
2. Ask: "How would you rate your mood right now on a scale of zero to ten with zero meaning life's not worth living and ten meaning life is great?"
3. If the person rates the mood as 5 or under, ask: "Have you had any thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself?" *
4. If the person indicates yes, go to the next step. If the person says, "I don't know," hear this as a "yes" to the question in #3.
5. Ask: "Have you thought about how you might end your life?" If the person says yes, the risk is increased.
6. Ask: "What have you thought about as how you might do it?" If the means is ineffective or non-lethal, such as cutting wrists, risk is lower. If the means is lethal such as using a gun or jumping from a bridge, etc., risk is higher.
7. Regardless of the means, ask: "Can we agree together that if you have thoughts of killing yourself, you will speak to me personally (not my voice mail) before carrying out a plan to harm yourself?"
8. If the person says "no" or "I don't know," to the question in #7, say: "What I am hearing is that you are in a lot of pain right now and thinking of ending your life, so I am wanting you to go to the emergency room right now and get some help to feel better right away. Will you go? I will make sure you get there safely. Is there a family member or someone I can call to go with you?" Or tell the person you will go with them yourself.
9. Arrange for the person to be accompanied to the emergency room, and call ahead to tell emergency staff you are coming.
10. If the person refuses, then ask the person to wait there with someone while you call police in another room to report that the person has threatened suicide with lethal means. Ask the police to come and accompany the person to the emergency room.
*Note: If the person rates the mood as 6 or over, after feeling consistently depressed, and s/he now reports life is great and s/he is smiling, the risk may be increased because s/he has decided to end their life and have made all arrangements.

Mission

TO SPREAD SUICIDE AWARENESS TO SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, EMERGENCY ROOMS, FUNERAL HOMES, POLICE DEPARTMENTS, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES, FIRST RESPONDERS, RETIREMENT HOMES, SUICIDE VICTIMS, SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE, AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM OUR INFORMATION.

Products

All of our products are FREE. Donations are accepted and welcomed. To request any of the products, email us at [email protected] or you can download them for free from our website at www.toddwaite.webs.com or www.twlf4suicideawareness.com

15 different "toolkits"

Promoting Suicide Awareness for -
Clergy
College Students
First Responders
Foster Parents
Funeral Directors
Law Enforcement
Military Veterans
Nurses
Primary Care Physicians
Senior Living Centers
Survivors of Suicide
Teachers
Teenagers and High School Students
The Media
The Workplace

There are also "Help" brochures available

1 for the West Michigan area
1 for the international area

Other material is available from our website at www.toddwaite.webs.com
or www.twlf4suicideawareness.com