Suicide Prevention Program
If you or someone you know needs support, please call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Resources
ALCOAST 368/25 - AUG 2025 SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH - "CONNECTEDNESS SAVES LIVES: EVERY COAST GUARD MAN AND WOMAN, EVERY DAY"
2025 Suicide Prevention Month Outreach Card
Suicide Prevention Toolkit v1.9
Suicide Prevention Awareness Poster
September 1-7: Awareness and Visibility
a. Commanding Officers, Officers-In-Charge, and Senior Leaders are encouraged to issue personal statements or videos affirming their commitment to suicide prevention.
b. Distribute Suicide Prevention Awareness Month materials (poster, outreach card).
c. Promote access to key resources: Military One Source, Federal Occupational Health, Chaplains, Regional Behavioral Health Providers, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
d. Set up "Walls of Hope" (physical and/or digital) for anonymous support messages and motivational quotes.
September 8-14: Education and Training
a. Conduct suicide prevention training standdowns.
b. Offer enhanced unit-level briefings on warning signs, risk factors, and referral processes.
c. Host discussions led by CPO Messes and Officer Wardrooms on supporting shipmates in distress.
d. Invite embedded behavioral health staff, chaplains, and/or resiliency coordinators to explain services and confidentiality.
e. Attend Microsoft Teams Presentation of the Suicide Prevention Toolkit, September 10th, 2025, at 11:00 EDT. View the recording here.
f. September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day.
September 15-21: Unit Connection and Peer Support
a. Launch "Coffee with a Shipmate" challenge-encourage members to connect one-on-one.
b. Organize morale-building wellness events (i.e. group hikes, yoga, team sports).
c. Establish informal peer buddy systems to promote regular check-ins.
d. Include isolated personnel (watchstanders, duty crews) in command outreach efforts.
e. Attend Microsoft Teams Presentation on the results of the Suicide Learning Review on September 17th, 2025, at 11:00 EDT. Join the meeting now!
September 22-30: Leadership, Postvention Response, and Sustained Engagement
a. Highlight people trained in SafeTALK, ASIST, and/or who have used the DHS Columbia Protocol Application (App).
b. Reward/Recognize those who have the DHS Columbia Protocol App on their devices. Encourage people who have not downloaded the App to do so.
c. Involve ombudsmen and family resource specialists to extend outreach to family members.
d. Attend Microsoft Teams Presentation of the Postvention Toolkit on September 24th, 2025, at 11:00 EDT. View the recording here.
Suicide Prevention Stand-down
ALCOAST 461/24 - DEC 2024 WORKFORCE READINESS: MANDATORY STAND-DOWN FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION
Stand-Down Command Message from the Commandant and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
1. Suicide Prevention Toolkit v1.9 2. Leadership Safe Message Guide
3. USCG Stand-Down - Suicide Prevention Spotlight 4. Suicide Prevention Trifold
5. Stress Continuum 6. Columbia Protocol Mobile App Training Slides
7. Stand-Down Event Flyer & Signage
Ask, Care, Escort (ACE) Card- Guided questions to assist with members who may be suicidal
ACE PSA: highlight the ease of use (and effectiveness) of the ACE (which utilizes the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale) for everyone in the total CG workforce; providing guidance to intervene when an individual may be experiencing crisis
CISM Trifold Download Suicide Prevention Trifold download
Who is Eligible for this Program?
This Program applies to all Coast Guard active duty and reserve personnel and appropriated civilian and non-appropriated fund employees and their families. It also applies to other Uniformed Services members and their families while either serving with the Coast Guard or using Coast Guard facilities.
Purpose of Program
To provide policy, procedures and assign responsibilities for the Coast Guard’s Suicide Prevention Program. Each of us in the Coast Guard must make it our individual responsibility to become aware of the warning signs and circumstances that are often associated with suicidal behavior [see enclosures (3) and (4) in Suicide Prevention Program, Commandant Instruction 1734.1A].
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Emergency suicide crisis services may also be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week via The Military Crisis Line. The MCL connects those in need to a trained counselor with a single phone call or click of a mouse. This confidential, immediate help is available 24/7 at no cost to active-duty, Guard and reserve members, their families and friends. Contact the Military Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255.
If on-site Psychological assistance is needed, call 988
If on site Medical assistance is needed call 911
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If you know of a friend, loved-one, co-worker, or family member who is exhibiting suicidal communications or behaviors, bring it to the attention of someone who can help. Don’t keep it a secret. If the person is on active duty, informing the person’s chain of command is essential, particularly if the person is unwilling or unable to obtain help on his/her own.
Program Confidentiality
Information about suicidal communications and/or behaviors is not considered confidential. In fact, we in the Coast Guard have an obligation to share such information with others to ensure help is provided to any person who has attempted or is known to be contemplating suicide. Medical care and mental health providers who believe that a patient has intentions to harm self and/or others are obligated to take appropriate action to protect the patient and/or others.
Definitions
See Enclosure (1) of Suicide Prevention Program, Commandant Instruction 1734.1A for definitions that apply to the Suicide Prevention Program.
Services and Resources Available
The following services and resources are available within the Suicide Prevention Program:
Program References
The following reference provide details of the Suicide Prevention Program:
Related Hotlines and Websites
The following hotlines and websites provide information related to the Suicide Prevention Program:
- Army Study To Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS) - Army STARRS is the largest study of mental health risk and resilience ever conducted among military personnel. This site already has many resources and links worth exploring and promises to add more over the 5-year span of this important study.
- Centers for Disease Control - This well-indexed federal website provides extensive information on the subject of violence and suicide prevention.
- Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Brain Injury - DCoE’s mission: assesses, validates, oversees and facilitates prevention, resilience, identification, treatment, outreach, rehabilitation, and reintegration programs for psychological health and traumatic brain injury to ensure the Department of Defense meets the needs of the nation's military communities, warriors and families. This site has many helpful links related to assisting persons impacted by critical incidents.
- InTransition - This DoD program is for all military members including members of the Coast Guard. It provides service members currently receiving mental health treatment a bridge of support between health care providers should they transfer to a new location or separate from active service.
- National Hopeline Network - Provides 24/7 crisis counseling for those who are thinking of suicide and for those worried that someone may commit suicide. Callers are connected to the nearest certified crisis counseling center. Individuals seeking help can call 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433).
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services, this national hotline 24/7 suicide prevention service is available to all those in suicidal crisis who are seeking help. Individuals seeking help can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Callers are routed to the closest possible provider of mental health and suicide prevention services. Active duty and veterans should identify themselves as such so that additional services can be provided as needed. However, no identifying information is required from callers. The site contains a special section for veterans.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - This Department of Health and Human Services website offers plenty of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention-related resources.
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) - This government-sponsored website provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions and policies, and to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Site also provides an opportunity to subscribe to the Spark, a weekly e-newsletter containing related announcements, news stories, and links.
- Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors - The mission of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is to provide comfort and support to ALL who are grieving the loss of a loved one in military service. The program reaches out to anyone, regardless of relationship, circumstance or geographic location of the casualty.
- “Veterans Chat” - An online, one-on-one “chat-service” for veterans. It enables veterans, their families, and friends to communicate anonymously with a trained VA counselor. This service is available 24/7.
Emergency suicide crisis services may also be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week via The Military Crisis Line. The MCL connects those in need to a trained counselor with a single phone call or click of a mouse. This confidential, immediate help is available 24/7 at no cost to active-duty, Guard and reserve members, their families and friends. Contact the Military Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255.
If on-site Psychological assistance is needed, call 988
If Medical assistance is needed call 911
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