Suicide Awareness Voices of Education-Minneapolis

Who Is SAVE?

SAVE is the leading national suicide prevention organization working to prevent suicide through public awareness and education. Our expertise and capacity come from more than 30 years of developing the state of art suicide prevention programming and providing leadership around the nation and throughout the world.

Organization Purpose

Our mission is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce stigma and serve as a resource for those touched by suicide. Our goals are to: 1) increase our scope of impact in public awareness and media; 2) advance and influence the field through shaping the national agenda and building a knowledge base through scientific study of suicide; 3) proactively engage survivors and those with lived experience; and 4) be a recognized leader in prevention and postvention awareness, education and materials. 

Programs and Services

Public awareness: SAVE is the leading public awareness organization in the world when it comes to understanding, studying, creating and disseminating public messages about suicide. We have developed numerous multi-media campaigns used in all 50 states as a tool for raising awareness about suicide prevention. The campaigns include TV, radio, print, outdoor and indoor advertising, digital and various other online media. In addition, SAVE created and runs the only certification program for safe messaging (www.savecertified.org) and has led international task forces developing guidelines for safe reporting of suicide, bully and social media/bloggers. We also use multiple social media platforms for global engagement and dissemination of suicide prevention messages.

Community and professional education is an additional component of delivering the SAVE message. This is accomplished with the SAVE speaker’s bureau comprised of staff and trained volunteers who teach the symptoms of mental illnesses connected to suicide, the warning signs of suicide and how to intervene when someone is at risk. In schools we reach youth and teachers and our SMART Schools and SMART Colleges programs engage students in peer led programs. In communities we reach parents, the faith community, civic and nonprofit organizations. Our Let’s Talk About It! program is a community forum teaching information on mental health, mental wellness, and suicide prevention.

We also conduct Grand Rounds training to medical professionals in hospitals and healthcare settings; training for journalists and media professionals; specific training for educational professionals; law enforcement training and work place violence training.

Resources and support are provided to those interested in information on suicide prevention and for people touched by suicide through www.save.org, publications, prevention and grief packets, annual memorial events, resources and referrals. SAVE has developed several best practice endorsed materials for prevention and postvention and we are the only national nonprofit agency dedicated to suicide prevention to have created an evidence-based program for suicide prevention. LEADS (Linking Education, and Awareness of Depression and Suicide) is a high school curriculum listed on the National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices. SAVE’s national survivor and bereavement programs allows providers access to an online directory of resources and referrals, specialized training, an online blog and technical assistance. Annually SAVE holds the longest running Suicide Awareness Memorial for survivors and we also have the world’s only Named Memorial Wall for those lost to suicide. Through our e-newsletter share Stories of Hope from loss survivors or those who have survived a suicide attempt.

Technical assistance

SAVE provides technical assistance and expertise to federal, state and local partners, businesses and nonprofit organizations, state coalitions and task forces as well as the media. 

National Outreach Network

SAVE’s work is supported by volunteers in various cities across the country connected through our National Outreach Network. These Charters include individuals trained in SAVE’s programs and services reaching people in local communities. Charter members speak in communities, assist in local health fairs and community outreach, support suicide survivors and distribute SAVE’s materials.

Awards and recognition

Over 30 years SAVE has been a grateful recipient of numerous awards and recognition including the Distinguished Service Award from the American Psychiatric Association, Who’s Who of Prevention Leaders, Agency of the Year, Prism Award winner for Public Service, Good Neighbor Award, Communicator Award, Telly Award for Public Service Announcements, and The White House Champion of Change.