There is nothing shameful about suicide or the feelings behind it.
There may be pain, hopelessness, and feelings of isolation; but there never needs to be shame. And with help, there can be hope.
If you are in pain and would like someone to talk to, please call our crisis lines. We’re here to listen.


If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.


Samaritan volunteers are here to listen whenever you need someone. You do not need to be suicidal to call.


If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.


Samaritan volunteers are here to listen whenever you need someone. You do not need to be suicidal to call.



If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.


Samaritan volunteers are here to listen whenever you need someone. You do not need to be suicidal to call.

Cape & Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition March General Membership Meeting
The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands is a non-sectarian organization dedicated to ending suicide by combating suicide risk conditions and easing the impacts of suicidal activity through fostering caring, connection, resilience, and public understanding.
Samaritan volunteers provide non-judgmental active listening to callers in need on our crisis lines, older adults in our Senior Outreach program, survivors in our Safe Place support groups for those who have lost someone to suicide, and suicide attempt survivors through our A Second Chance support program.
As members of the oldest and largest suicide prevention network in the world, The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands encourages our community to talk openly about suicide in order to best help and provide hope to those in need.

In the Cape and Islands region, we’re most well-known for our signs posted at the Bourne and Sagamore bridges imploring tourists and locals alike to call our crisis lines if they need to talk. Although our crisis lines are an integral part of our work, The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands offers a variety of outreach programs for people in need and educational opportunities for community members eager to learn how to help save lives.

Samaritan volunteers make a difference in the lives of our callers every day – just by picking up the phone. Our volunteers are a fantastic group of people who care. They are not counselors or therapists. They do not diagnose or offer solutions. They simply listen with empathy and compassion to callers who need to hear a friendly, caring voice.
It’s normal when you start thinking about volunteering with the Samaritans to wonder if you’ll be able to do all of this. But don’t worry. We’ll train you extensively in non-judgmental active listening and help you learn the critical skills necessary to be a Samaritan volunteer.
Without our volunteers, we couldn’t do the work we do. Will you help us make a difference?

The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands is a non-sectarian organization dedicated to ending suicide by combating suicide risk conditions and easing the impacts of suicidal activity through fostering caring, connection, resilience, and public understanding.
Samaritan volunteers provide non-judgmental active listening to callers in need on our crisis lines, older adults in our Senior Outreach program, survivors in our Safe Place support groups for those who have lost someone to suicide, and suicide attempt survivors through our A Second Chance support program.
As members of the oldest and largest suicide prevention network in the world, The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands encourages our community to talk openly about suicide in order to best help and provide hope to those in need.

In the Cape and Islands region, we’re most well-known for our signs posted at the Bourne and Sagamore bridges imploring tourists and locals alike to call our crisis lines if they need to talk. Although our crisis lines are an integral part of our work, The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands offers a variety of outreach programs for people in need and educational opportunities for community members eager to learn how to help save lives.

Samaritan volunteers make a difference in the lives of our callers every day – just by picking up the phone. Our volunteers are a fantastic group of people who care. They are not counselors or therapists. They do not diagnose or offer solutions. They simply listen with empathy and compassion to callers who need to hear a friendly, caring voice.
It’s normal when you start thinking about volunteering with the Samaritans to wonder if you’ll be able to do all of this. But don’t worry. We’ll train you extensively in non-judgmental active listening and help you learn the critical skills necessary to be a Samaritan volunteer.
Without our volunteers, we couldn’t do the work we do. Will you help us make a difference?

The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands is a non-sectarian organization dedicated to ending suicide by combating suicide risk conditions and easing the impacts of suicidal activity through fostering caring, connection, resilience, and public understanding.
Samaritan volunteers provide non-judgmental active listening to callers in need on our crisis lines, older adults in our Senior Outreach program, survivors in our Safe Place support groups for those who have lost someone to suicide, and suicide attempt survivors through our A Second Chance support program.
As members of the oldest and largest suicide prevention network in the world, The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands encourages our community to talk openly about suicide in order to best help and provide hope to those in need.

In the Cape and Islands region, we’re most well-known for our signs posted at the Bourne and Sagamore bridges imploring tourists and locals alike to call our crisis lines if they need to talk. Although our crisis lines are an integral part of our work, The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands offers a variety of outreach programs for people in need and educational opportunities for community members eager to learn how to help save lives.

Samaritan volunteers make a difference in the lives of our callers every day – just by picking up the phone. Our volunteers are a fantastic group of people who care. They are not counselors or therapists. They do not diagnose or offer solutions. They simply listen with empathy and compassion to callers who need to hear a friendly, caring voice.
It’s normal when you start thinking about volunteering with the Samaritans to wonder if you’ll be able to do all of this. But don’t worry. We’ll train you extensively in non-judgmental active listening and help you learn the critical skills necessary to be a Samaritan volunteer.
Without our volunteers, we couldn’t do the work we do. Will you help us make a difference?

We are so pleased to be chosen as a recipient of a Cape Cod Healthcare Community Benefits Strategic Grant in support of our Senior Outreach Program. It’s wonderful to receive funding for the program and to know that Cape Cod Healthcare recognizes the important connection it provides. Click here to learn more: https://tinyurl.com/5xsc76d5
As the country continues to grapple with the enormous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with more than 47,500 Americans losing their lives to suicide in 2019 alone, national action is urgently needed to address this critical, and yet preventable, public health issue. To help drive efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG)—in collaboration with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance)—recently released The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (Call to Action). This new resource seeks to advance progress towards full implementation of the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, the nation’s roadmap for suicide prevention, by identifying six key actions—and corresponding strategies and priorities—that must be taken now. Developed in consultation with many public and private sector partners, and guided by scientific evidence and insights from people with lived experience, the Call to Action focuses on the following:
· Action 1. Activate a broad-based public health response to suicide
· Action 2. Address upstream factors that impact suicide
· Action 3. Ensure lethal means safety
· Action 4. Support adoption of evidence-based care for suicide risk
· Action 5. Enhance crisis care and care transitions
· Action 6. Improve the quality, timeliness, and use of suicide-related data
To read more about the Call to Action and the National Strategy, click the highlighted text above.The S Word Available on Amazon Prime
Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands is proud to announce that on September 15th our center will begin a collaboration with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to assist in answering the large volume of calls the NSPL receives. Don’t worry! We’ll still be the same Samaritans you’ve always known with the same phone numbers and wonderful volunteers. But now we’ll be able to provide support to more people who are struggling with loneliness, mental health issues, and suicidality. Many thanks to our wonderful staff, volunteers, and countless others for working so tirelessly to make this a reality. Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands Crisis Lines: 508-548-8900 and 800-893-9900 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : 800-273-TALK (8255)
Our current systems make being a person of color who suffers from mental illness difficult. The MA Coalition for Suicide Prevention is elevating some voices from our communities to discuss how we can be more culturally responsive. #SuicideDoesntDiscriminate. Click this link to watch the new PSA: /https://www.facebook.com/masspreventssuicide/.