National Suicide Prevention Week may be over, but we're recognizing National Suicide Prevention Month all September long, and there are still so many ways to get involved.

The importance of having open and honest discussions about mental health is the foundation of our yearlong Talk Away the Dark campaign, which urges people to learn the risk factors and warning signs, and check in with those we care about. Here are two actions you can take to build confidence talking about mental health and suicide –– both for yourself and your community:

Bringing evidence-based suicide prevention education to your community helps more people understand how mental health is an ongoing part of all our lives, and shows them how to proactively care for their own mental health while being there for their friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Talk Saves Lives, AFSP’s flagship education program, provides communities with in-depth guidance on how to recognize the warning signs and talk away the dark when they or someone they know is in crisis.

This week happens to be the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep 15-Oct 15). Talk Saves Lives is available in specialized modules, including TSL: Latinx and Hispanic Communities.

Learn how you can bring this impactful education program to your community…and how talk truly can help save lives.

Even when people know about available mental health services, shame, fear, and embarrassment often prevent them from seeking help. Our Interactive Screening Program (ISP) provides a safe and confidential way for individuals to Talk Away the Dark by taking a brief screening for stress, depression, and other mental health conditions, and receiving a personal response from a program counselor within the mental health services available to them. ISP is a customized platform available for institutions of higher education; medical schools, hospitals, and health systems; and employee assistance programs, organizations, and workplaces.

ISP has been listed in the Best Practice Registry for Suicide Prevention, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Tools and Resources for Physician Well-Being, and as a recommended program in the U.S. Surgeon General’s report, “Addressing Health Worker Burnout: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce.”

You can pave the way for more people to talk away the dark by bringing ISP to your own school or organization.