SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH: CONNECTION CAN SAVE A LIFE
Every September, Suicide Prevention Month reminds us of something that matters every day of the year: we all have a role to play in preventing suicide.
Suicide can affect anyone, regardless of age, background, income, or circumstance. It touches individuals, families, workplaces, schools, and entire communities. Behind every statistic is a person—and behind that person are people who care about them.
The latest national numbers show why this conversation remains so important. In 2024, 48,824 people in the United States died by suicide. An estimated 14.3 million adults seriously considered suicide, 4.6 million made a suicide plan, and 2.2 million attempted suicide.
Here in Yavapai County, the impact is deeply personal. In 2024, our county experienced 86 deaths by suicide.
But statistics do not tell the whole story.
They don't show the friend who noticed someone withdrawing and decided to check in. They don't show the family member who stayed on the phone. They don't show the person who reached out for help during the hardest night of their life—or the counselor, peer, crisis professional, teacher, coworker, neighbor, or stranger who listened.
Suicide prevention begins with connection.
It can start with a simple question: “Are you okay?”
If someone seems different, unusually withdrawn, hopeless, overwhelmed, or simply not like themselves, don't be afraid to reach out. You don't need to have the perfect words or know how to solve what they're experiencing. Listening without judgment and helping someone connect with support can make a meaningful difference.
In 2026, help is more accessible than ever. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline connects people experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health challenges, or substance use concerns with trained crisis professionals by calling or texting 988. In 2025 alone, the 988 Lifeline received more than 8 million contacts from people seeking help.
And asking for help is not weakness. It is an act of courage.
Walking Out of the Darkness in Prescott
This September, our community has an opportunity to turn awareness into action at the 2026 Prescott Out of the Darkness Walk, hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
The walk will take place Saturday, September 26, at A.C. Williams Granite Creek Park in Prescott. Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m., opening ceremonies and the walk begin at 10:00 a.m., and the event concludes at 1:00 p.m.
Out of the Darkness Walks bring together people who have lost someone to suicide, individuals with lived experience, families, friends, advocates, and community members who simply believe that no one should have to struggle alone.
There is something powerful about standing together and seeing just how many people care.
At Polara Health, we believe conversations about suicide should not happen only in September. They should happen whenever someone needs to know they matter, whenever a friend seems different, and whenever a person needs help finding hope.
This month, reach out. Listen. Learn the warning signs. Share 988. Check on someone you haven't heard from lately. Join us at the Prescott Out of the Darkness Walk.
Because sometimes one conversation, one connection, or one person willing to stay can help change the direction of a life.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or suicidal crisis, help is available. Walk through our doors at Polara Health’s Crisis Stabilization Unit, located at 8655 E. Eastridge Drive in Prescott Valley, or call us at 928-445-5211. Our Crisis Stabilization Unit is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
You can also call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and receive support from a trained crisis counselor.