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.
Developing LOSS Teams Training
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is November 21, 2020
Due to the pandemic, this year’s International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (ISOSLD) event will look different on Cape Cod. Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands will be joining with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to support its statewide virtual ISOSLD event which will provide a chance for survivors of suicide loss to come together to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience. To register, please click the link below:
We are a non-denominational, non-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to provide emotional support to those who are lonely, depressed, or suicidal.
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 a non-denominational, non-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to provide emotional support to those who are lonely, depressed, or suicidal.
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 a non-denominational, non-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to provide emotional support to those who are lonely, depressed, or suicidal.
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?
Getting the word out to the 102nd Intelligence Wing
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/.
COVID-19 Resources
Managing Grief During a Pandemic
- There are different ways to say goodbye. Unexpected endings tend to bring strong emotions, often anchored in both the present and the past, when we may have felt abandoned or left behind. There are different ways to say goodbye. Write a letter to your loved one, even if you end up being the only one who sees it. If your loved one has died or is in a place you can’t visit, hold an intention for them in your mind, and say it aloud as you think of them throughout the day. One of my favorites is, “May you feel my love for you and be surrounded by peace.”
- “The last sentence of the book doesn’t rewrite the entire story.” Years ago, following the loss of someone dear to me, a wise person shared these words with me. It reminded me that even though I was unable to be with my loved one when he died, I had a book full of lines to draw upon that were the story of our life together and of our relationship. Many of those lines were expressions of our love, moments we shared together, conversations and memories. Remembering these feelings and these moments is how we get a sense of who the individual was; who we were with them; and what the relationship was—all of which surpasses their final moments. Right now is a good time to reflect on those earlier, better memories as best as you can, to remind yourself of the full picture of their lives and your connection.
- Connections can deepen over time, even after loss. My father died 14 years ago this week. In the early days and weeks following his death, all I could remember was the image of him sick, and the trauma I associated with that. As time passed, my memories of him unexpectedly became richer and more accessible than they were in those early days. The images of him being sick began to fade away. I can now more easily remember his laugh and his jokes, and recognize the similarity between my daughter’s eyes and his. I also feel more connected to how he must have felt as a parent, now that I am one, myself. These are newer, deeper connections to my father, ones I couldn’t have anticipated at the time he died.
- You are not alone in your grief. Know that others are also experiencing grief right now, and that there is support available. Online grief support, and grief support provided by mental health professionals, hospice centers and faith groups are all accessible to you, many via telehealth and other virtual platforms. You can learn about options for grief support by connecting to your local mental health providers, faith organizations or hospice, or through one of the following national resources: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1800 273-TALK (8255); Crisis Text Line: text TALK to 741741. If you are struggling with the loss of a loved one to suicide, even one that occurred prior to COVID-19, AFSP has our Healing Conversations program, which provides peer-to-peer phone or video contact and resources for those struggling with suicide loss.