Above: SYFS is conducting outreach in advance of September’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. (images cropped from flyers)
Southborough Youth and Family Services is ramping up for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September.
The agency is promoting free programs to give community members tools to recognize and support others in crisis or cope with their own depression.
Offerings in Septembers include Mental Health Info Sessions, the next session of the Shelf Help Community Book Discussion Group, and free lawn signs to help raise community awareness.
Mental Health Info Sessions
SYFS promotes:
SYFS is offering programs designed to provide practical tools, strategies, and connections to help support loved ones and strengthen resilience. We would appreciate your help in sharing these opportunities with neighbors, friends, and families who may benefit.
These free info sessions will all take place at the Southborough Library on Tuesday evenings in September. Registration is required here.
Understanding Depression
Tuesday, September 2, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, in the Eaton Room
Recognize the signs of depression and explore strategies for support.
Navigating the Mental Health System
Tuesday, September 9, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, in the Eaton Room
Learn how to access mental health services, understand levels of care, and support loved ones in finding appropriate help.
The Value of Validation
Tuesday, September 23, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, in the Eaton Room
Explore the power of validation in communication and how it can strengthen relationships and support mental health.
QPR Suicide Prevention Training
Tuesday, September 3, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, upstairs
Learn the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) method to help recognize warning signs of suicide and connect individuals to help.
Shelf Help: Community Book Discussion
As I’ve previously covered, SYFS and the Southborough Library have teamed up on this revamped monthly book group.
The new format doesn’t require participants to pre-read the book to be part of the discussion. Plus, leading up to the event, registered participants will receive:
related resources—including articles, podcasts, and videos—to help engage with the topic from multiple perspectives.
The featured book for September is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. SYFS promotes:
This novel explores family expectations, identity, and hidden struggles, directly connecting to themes of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
The best selling novelist’s website describes it as:
A profoundly moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home. . . both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
The discussion will take place Tuesday, September 30th, 7:00 – 8:00 pm in the Southborough Library’s Eaton Room. To register to participate and get additional materials, click here. (SYFS and the Library will help participants who ask for help to borrow a copy of the book.)
Show Your Support: Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Lawn Signs
Display a ribbon lawn sign in your yard to show your support and raise awareness in the community.
Lawn Sign Pickup or Delivery will take place Monday, August 25 – Friday, September 12.
To register to get one, click here.
