Needham Acts

Suicide/ Depression

The Bright Side offers support - whether you are dealing with depression, grief, suicide, mental illness, emotional crisis, or are just feeling overwhelmed with life. You will find educational materials, personal stories, and other resources to help you cope with depression, grief, suicide, or whatever mental or emotional difficulty you or your loved one may be experiencing. It has a very warm personal tone.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Substance Abuse’s National Mental Health Information Center provides information on mental health issues, referrals to local mental health resources, and free publications on mental health illnesses and issues.

The Screening for Mental Health website has both in-person and online screening programs for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol problems, and suicide prevention.

Stop a Suicide, Today is a program of the Suicide Education and Research Division of Screening for Mental Health. It teaches you how to recognize the signs of suicide in family members, friends and co-workers, and empowers you to make a difference in the lives of your loved ones. It emphasizes the relationship between suicide and mental illness and the notion that a key step in reducing suicide is to get those in need into mental health treatment.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center has 490 web pages and 250 library resources on suicide prevention information and developing suicide prevention programs. The site includes individual state suicide prevention pages, news and events, an online library, training, and links to other web sites.

The American Association of Suicidology promotes research, public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers with the goal of understanding and preventing suicide. AAS serves as a national clearinghouse for information on suicide.

The Needham Youth Commission operates as a mental health resource providing professional and confidential clinical and programmatic services. We provide support, information, and direction to youth on issues such as family, social, peer, stress, loss, alcohol, drug, and other youth-related concerns.

Riverside Community Care has 24-hour a day services for individuals with mental health issues, substance abuse problems, developmental disabilities, and traumatic head injuries. It serves 60 Massachusetts cities and towns including Needham and surrounding towns.

24-hour helpline: 1- 877-870-HOPE 1-800-252-TEEN (8336)
Website for the Samaritans, a volunteer organization dedicated to reducing the incidence of suicide by befriending individuals in crisis and the Samariteen helpline which is dedicated specifically to the prevention of suicide among teens and provides confidential peer support and understanding to teens who are struggling with feelings of depression, loneliness and stress. Also contains information about SafePlace which is a group of caring people who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide.

Web site for the National Suicide Hotlines 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) and 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

http://suicidehotlines.com/massachusetts.html
This website explains what to expect when you call a hotline and how to survive depression.

Families who work together are best able to recognize and cope with depressive disorders. Families for Depression Awareness helps caregivers and people with depressive disorders understand the conditions and share issues. Our website offers family profiles, information about depression, medical help, books, links and other helpful tools for families with questions and concerns about mental health issues.

Coping for Survivors

A Handbook for Survivors of Suicide by Jeffrey Jackson is a very helpful and compassionate guide for those grieving the loss of loved ones to suicide.

The Dougy Center
The National Center for Grieving Children & Families
Provides information and support for children and teens who are grieving the death a loved one. It also provides a directory of programs in Massachusetts and other states that help grieving children, teens and their families. Helping Teens Cope with Death from The Dougy Center can also be purchased through Amazon. This book gives helpful information to parents, teachers, clergy, or friends to better understand teenagers grief.

The Compassionate Friends
Support for parents and siblings who have experienced the death of a child, brother, or sister. Sponsors support groups, newsletters, and on-line support groups throughout the country, as well as an annual national conference for bereaved families.

This website for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention contains information about suicide and depression and helpful information on coping with loss by suicide. Information on helping survivors can be found by clicking on Surviving Suicide Loss, then Coping with Suicide Loss, and then Helping Friends and Family.

Click on About Suicide & Suicide Prevention. The Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA) is dedicated to leveraging grassroots support among suicide survivors and others to advance public policies that help prevent suicide. Their goal is to create a way for survivors of suicide - those who have lost someone to suicide - to transform their grief into positive action to prevent future tragedies.

Heartbeat, a website for those who have lost a loved one to suicide, provides peer support.

Mental Health – High School Students

www.highschoolblues.com
Site provides information about common problems in high school, including mental health and a forum for high school students.

Mental Health – College Students

www.campusblues.com
Contains information about common problems in college, including mental health, and provides a forum for college students.

ULifeline is the online resource center for the Jed Foundation for college student mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Active Minds develops and supports student –run mental health awareness, education and advocacy groups. Contains fact sheets on mental illness and information about starting an Active Minds Chapter.

Mental Health – Elderly

www.seniorblues.com
This website provides information about common problems affecting seniors, including mental health problems. It also provides a forum for discussion.

www.spanusa.org
Click on About Suicide & Suicide Prevention, scroll down to Suicide & the Elderly

Drugs/Alcohol

The Al-Anon/Alateen groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope, in order to solve their common problems. Meetings are free, anonymous and confidential. Their primary purpose is to help families of alcoholics based on the belief that alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous website provides information on meetings. AA provides self-help groups for alcoholics.

Sameem Associates, located in Newton, MA 617-964-1060
Sameen is an outpatient treatment and consultation program treating the addictions, adolescents, and families.

Children’s Hospital Adolescent Substance Abuse Program in Boston offers substance abuse assessment and treatment.