Suicide Emergency Checklist

In case of an emergency, call 911 instead of our listening line.

If you live in the USA and are concerned about a suicide emergency anywhere in the USA:

• Call YOUR local 911 from your cell phone or landline and ASK FOR ADVICE. Your local 911 will be able to connect with other 911’s in the country.

If you live outside the USA and are reading this from another country:

• Call your local police and ask for advice.
• Visite a Befrienders Worldwide para obter linhas de escuta de amizade para prevenção do suicídio internacional.

For additional help within Rhode Island:

• Call the RI State Police (401)-444-1000 who can coordinate with RI E-911 and local municipalities.
• Call your your Primary Care doctor and/or your behavioral health provider directly and ask for advice.
• Contact BH Link by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or 401-414-5465 for a 24/7 walk-in assessment, treatment or referral located in East Providence RI.
• Para crianças, jovens e adolescentes – entre em contato com seu pediatra ou ligue para KIDS Link RI em 1-855-543-5465

Sem esperança? Precisa conversar? – por favor, revise.

In addition to the information below, please review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

1. Understand the problem.The brain is one of the body’s major organs like the heart, lung, liver or kidney. Just as you would not tell someone to get over a heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer, so should you not tell someone to get over depression. Treat signs of depression and threats of suicide as part of a serious illness.Additionally, changes in medications or diet, stress, lifestyle issues or previously undiagnosed medical problems can impact on a person’s physical and behavioral well being often causing chemical imbalances and impacting on a person’s ability to cope.Experts tell us three things about the truly suicidal: they are without hope, believe no one cares if they live or die and in the end truly believe they are doing everyone a favor if they die by suicide. For suicidal individuals, life’s circumstances are overwhelming; their coping skills are no longer adequate; and they believe no options exist except suicide.At The Samaritans, we are often asked, “Would our loved one have done it if he or she knew how much pain they caused?” We are also asked, “Isn’t suicide a selfish act?” For the suicidal, thoughts of others—even the closest family members—have been chased away by depression and mental illness.Is there time for you to do anything?There is usually time to intervene. Suicide is not usually spontaneous. Planning the time, the method and the means may take hours, days, weeks or more.
2. Ask “Are you suicidal?” It is a myth to believe if you ask the thought will be planted and the outcome inevitable.  Tell your loved one, it’s ok to talk to you, that you love and care about them and don’t want them to die. Show you care by asking in a calm, concerned manner. Do not act shocked or afraid. Overreacting, speaking in a judgmental manner or closing the door with advice will push your loved one away. Take the time to listen, patiently. Ask your loved one what is bothering him or her the most. The answer may provide a clue to the problem and ways in which you can help.
3. Determine se todos estão seguros. Há armas? Há outras pessoas, especialmente crianças, nas proximidades? Em todas as situações de risco de vida, ligue diretamente para o RI Emergency 911. Você está pensando em denunciar uma pessoa suicida à polícia e tem preocupações sobre sua segurança se fizer tal denúncia? Ligue para o 911 ou para a polícia municipal local. Compartilhe suas preocupações sobre segurança e peça orientação.
4. Incentive seu ente querido a visitar o hospital de cuidados intensivos mais próximo para uma avaliação médica e psiquiátrica de emergência. Pela lei de RI, os segurados e não segurados devem ser tratados nos prontos-socorros dos hospitais de cuidados intensivos de RI. Nem todos os pacientes serão admitidos, mas os hospitais podem fornecer orientação sobre cuidados e tratamento de acompanhamento. Para todas as crianças (infantil -18), visite o Hasbro Children's Hospital para uma avaliação de emergência, liberação médica e encaminhamentos para recursos locais.
5. Offer to go with your loved one as he or she seeks care. Often times, a depressed person is so hopeless and despairing he or she is unable to seek help. Offer to go along. Encourage your family member or friend to give his or her permission for you to speak on their behalf to emergency, primary and behavioral health care providers. Present your list of concerns, observations and all background information.Your loved one won’t give his or her permission? You still have options.Under the privacy provisions of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), medical personnel may not be able to talk to you about a loved one or friend but you can tell medical professionals what you know and have observed. Hopefully, your input will help provide direction for emergency assessments, treatment and referrals.
6. From the emergency room, contact your loved one’s pediatrician, family doctor, specialists or primary care facility. Family history, medications and undiagnosed medical problems are just a few issues that can impact on a person’s physical and behavioral well being and ability to cope. Knowledge of these changes could help in the assessment process. Request patient information between emergency room personnel, primary care as well as specialty care doctors be exchanged. Follow-up to make sure medical records and reports were received on both ends.
7. Não é uma emergência, mas ainda está preocupado? Peça ajuda e orientação. Escreva uma lista de preocupações, observações, problemas médicos passados e atuais e desafios de assistência médica, bem como quaisquer pensamentos de depressão e suicídio. Compartilhe suas preocupações com um familiar ou amigo de confiança, equipe de pronto-socorro, médico de atenção primária à saúde, empresa de seguro saúde, provedor de assistência médica comportamental ou coordenador de serviço social. Ligue para a Samaritans Listening Line ou visite nosso site para obter mais informações.
8. Do you know an adult who has lost a loved one to suicide? In addition to encouraging follow-up care with a primary care doctor, we welcome adults left behind by a loved one’s suicide to learn more about our Safe Place program. Established in 1986, our free support group has provided comfort and nonjudgmental befriending to many Rhode Islanders. If a child has lost a loved one to suicide, please coordinate care with the child’s pediatrician. Unfortunately, we cannot accept children in our program.
9. Is your loved one suffering from depression or are you a caregiver stressed by worry? Need to talk? Call a friend at The Samaritans, RI’s most trusted listening line since 1977. The Samaritans, providing free confidential, nonjudgmental befriending, can be the gateway to care and a lifetime of support. Our Hotline/Listening Line number is 401.272.4044 or toll-free in RI 1.800.365.4044.

Note: The Samaritans does not replace professional medical, mental health, social service or pastoral care. However, we provide supportive services between appointments or when family and friends are not available. Hotline/Listening Line support is also available to callers when professional services are no longer an option.

Talk to a nonjudgmental volunteer at The Samaritans of RI.

(401) 272-4044 or state-wide at 1-800- 365-4044.

A linha direta dos Samaritanos está aberta 24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana, dependendo da disponibilidade horária/diária dos voluntários.