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 262/26 - AUG 2026 SUICIDE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN 2026 "MISSION READY: RESILIENT AND CONNECTED"
2026 Suicide Prevention Month Outreach Card
Suicide Prevention Toolkit v1.9
Suicide Postvention Toolkit v1.3
Suicide Prevention Awareness Poster
Mission Resilience Cards
Coffee with a Shipmate Challenge
Themes and Recommended Activities. For the campaign theme of Mission Ready: Resilient and Connected, the following activities are suggested by week.
WEEK 1 (01 to 06 SEP): Suicide Prevention is Readiness.
(1) Commands are encouraged to issue personal statements or video (shorts) affirming their commitment to suicide prevention.
(2) Distribute Mission Resilience Cards: quick handouts designed to create recurring leader-to-member conversations that normalize discussions about resilience, stress management, help-seeking, and mission readiness.
(3) Distribute Suicide Prevention Month materials (posters, ribbons, banners). Promote access to key resources: Military One Source, Chaplains, Regional Behavioral Health Providers, "988" Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
(4) Commands are encouraged to expand participation in ASIST and other approved suicide prevention and intervention training opportunities, with the goal of substantively increasing the number of trained personnel across the Coast Guard.
WEEK 2 (07 to 13 SEP): Every Shipmate Matters.
(1) Conduct a suicide prevention stand-down using available resources and discussion guides from the Coast Guard Suicide Prevention Program. Commands should tailor the stand-down to local needs and operational schedules, with support from EAPCs, RCs, Chaplains, and other appropriate helping professionals.
(2) Begin Coffee/Tea/Soda with A Shipmate Challenge: Guided intentional peer relationship building to strengthen interpersonal connection before someone reaches a crisis (Command hosted, set time aside, etc.).
(3) Download the DHS Columbia Protocol APP (IOS/Android) and offer enhanced unit-level briefings on warning signs, risk factors, and referral processes.
(4) Host discussions led by the CPO Mess and/or Officer Wardroom on supporting shipmates in distress.
(5) Engage embedded mental health staff, Chaplains, RCs, EAPCs, or other appropriate healing professionals to support local programming and reinforce available services, confidentiality, and pathways to care.
WEEK 3 (14 to 20 SEP): Connection Protects.
(1) Begin Bridge the Distance Campaign: Strengthen connectedness among deployed members, their families, and their communities.
(2) Organize deliberate, command sponsored connectedness-events (group hikes, yoga, team sports, e-sports).
(3) Establish informal peer buddy systems to promote regular check-ins.
(4) Include isolated personnel (watchstanders, duty crews) in command outreach efforts.
WEEK 4 (21 to 27 SEP): Asking for help is a Sign of Strength.
(1) Set up the Virtual "Walls of Hope/Never Forgotten" (physical or digital) for anonymous support messages and motivational quotes.
(2) Involve ombudsmen and family resource specialists to extend outreach to family members.
(3) Attend Microsoft Teams Presentation of the Postvention Toolkit on September 24, at 1100 EST.
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser.)
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandantfor-Human-Resources-CG-1/Health-Safety-and-Work-Life-CG-11/Office-of-Work-Life-CG-111/Suicide-Prevention-Program/
WEEK 5 (28 to 30 SEP and Beyond): Sustain Mission-Ready Connectedness.
(1) Continue regular command-supported connectedness and suicide prevention activities throughout the year.
(2) Continue partnering with EAPCs, RCs, Chaplains, behavioral health professionals, and other appropriate helping resources to identify local needs, plan activities, and connect members to support.
(3) Use the Coast Guard Suicide Prevention Program resources, recommendations, and implementation guidance to sustain local prevention efforts.
Suicide Prevention Stand-down
ALCOAST 461/24 - DEC 2024 WORKFORCE READINESS: MANDATORY STAND-DOWN FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION
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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