September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which seems extra pertinent this year as the pandemic threatens mental health, not only in patients who have previously sought help, but in others who have never struggled with mental health before.

The Iowa Department of Human Rights has partnered with Mosaic Family Counseling in Urbandale, Iowa, to produce a series of videos focused on mental health and wellness for service providers.

The first three videos educate viewers about trauma and the brain, suicidality, and self-care for service providers. They are available on the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Facebook Page.

Understanding and recognizing the warning signs for suicide remains one of most important ways to save lives.

Kenya Rocha, LMHC, outlines warning signs of suicide, including changes in personality, isolation, recent loss and hopelessness, making plans to give things away, and even uncharacteristic and sudden happiness and peace, for seemingly no reason.

“Some warning signs can be seen as big behaviors, some of them might not be,” she said. “Any one of these things alone, may not mean a big thing, however, if someone has had a history of suicidal impulses and any of these things are coupled with that, this is the time you really want to look at what’s going on with them and check to see if they’re safe.”

Suicide prevention hotlines remain one of the most effective resources to help people overcome suicidal thoughts and ideations.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours at 800-273-8255 in both English and Spanish.

The Iowa Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Resource Center released the semi-annual call volume report from the last six months of 2019, which shows that 7,135 calls were made from Iowa to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 79% of those callers were able to receive help in Iowa, which means that 1,480 callers from Iowa were unable to be answered by a local center in the state.

Only two crisis centers are members of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Foundation 2 Crisis Center in Cedar Rapids and CommUnity in Iowa City.

When a caller dials the lifeline and no local crisis center is available to answer, they are redirected to a backup center in another region.

Your Life Iowa, part of the Iowa Department of Public Health also provides a suicide prevention call line at 855-581-8111, a text line at 855-895-8398, and an online chat function at yourlifeiowa.org.

The Your Life Iowa website also provides depression screening quizzes and resources not only for those struggling with suicidal thoughts, but also for friends and family who are concerned about a loved one.