GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — With suicide a leading cause of death in the United States, a four-step action plan equips people to take action to prevent suicides.
In 2022, more than 49,000 people died by suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The “be nice.” plan, a program from the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, aims to make a change. It involves four steps: notice, invite, challenge and empower.
“When we know the plan, we can notice symptoms, risk factors, and invite ourselves into a conversation,” Christy Buck, founder and executive director, said. “And challenging that person with resources that are available. And ultimately empowerment — empowerment to give somebody hope, to let someone know that there is help and that they can be better and it can be OK.”…