September 1, 2016 – Welcome to September, it is a big month! Labor Day is this weekend and we’ll say good-bye to summer. School is either already back in session or will be shortly for those last few kiddos. This month is also the beginning of three important national campaigns: National Preparedness Month, National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and National Recovery Month.
We encourage everyone to use this month as a time to focus on yourself and your family in terms of preparedness, as well as physical and mental health and wellness! Each Monday this month, we’ll bring you blogs that will further explain each national campaign and provide additional resources for you and your family.
The following is a list and resource guide of the three major September awareness campaigns:
National Preparedness Month is the annual awareness event sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is a time when people across the country are encouraged to prepare for emergencies and disasters. National Preparedness Month is about the entire nation building its preparedness to have resiliency to respond to natural or man-made disasters.
- This year’s theme is “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today”
- Take action now – make a plan with for your family and your pets, and be part of your community discussion!
- Check out https://www.ready.gov/september or http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/fall_safety.html to learn how to get ready for fall weather.
- Use the hashtag #NatPrep #FallSafety
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month helps promote resources and awareness around the issues of suicide prevention, how you can help others and how to talk about suicide without increasing the risk of harm. National Suicide Prevention Month is designed to raise awareness that suicide is preventable, improve education and spread information about suicide, and decrease the stigma of suicide.
- Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background.
- Nearly 3,000 people commit suicide every day, about one million per year.
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people and is often the result of mental health conditions that effect people when they are most vulnerable.
- Use the hashtag #suicideprevention and #bethere
Resources:
- National Suicide Hotline: call 1-800-273 TALK (8255) or text 838255.
- If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.
- Start a confidential online chat session at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/chat.
- Take a self-check quiz at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/quiz.
- If you or a Veteran you know is in crisis, find a facility near you.
- Visit www.MilitaryCrisisLine.net if you are Active Duty, Reserve, or Guard.
- Connect through chat, text, or TTY if you are deaf or hard of hearing.
National Recovery Month, formerly known as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction, is a national observance aimed at informing people that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a substance use or mental disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.
- Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, and spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover.
- There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed through recovery. Since these successes often go unnoticed by the broader population,
- Recovery Month provides a vehicle for everyone to celebrate these accomplishments.
- If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction, there is help. You can cease your addiction and you can continue your career.
- Use the hashtag #RecoveryMonth
We encourage you to take hold of each campaign!