CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. The Nature and Scope of Suicide
2. Recognizing the Progressive Development of Suicide
3. Substance Abuse as a Major Contributor to Suicide
4. Suicide Across the Life Span
5. Special Populations and Suicide Risk
6. Prevention and Early Intervention for Suicide and Substance Abuse Problems

Supplements
References
Resources

Holding the Lifeline
A Guide to Suicide Prevention

Faith-Based Suicide Prevention Initiatives

Across the United States, there are a number of faith-based initiatives designed to aid in preventing suicide. These initiatives typically originate within a particular church or denomination, and operate both within a specific religious framework and/or ecumenically.

One of the organizations that is part of the National Council on Suicide Prevention is OASSIS: the Organization for Attempters and Survivors of Suicide in Interfaith Services. This organization has worked with a number of different faith traditions to offer support and help to those who are at risk for suicide, as well as to family members, suicide survivors, and others. OASSIS provides a forum for people to gather around this difficult topic. It acts as an umbrella organization for religious communities who care about suicide prevention.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness also addresses the connection between faith and mental illness. The resources listed by NAMI are provided in the spirit of offering support and compassion to persons with mental illnesses. There are a number of pastoral and religiously-based organizations that can offer mental health counseling, participation in community, education, linkages, and resources to those who seek to approach co-occurring disorders from a spiritual point of view.