Communications Materials
ND HOPES provides tools and resources to help you communicate about suicide prevention with the populations you serve.
988 Materials
988 Social Media Messages for Rural Residents, Veterans & LGTBQIA2S+ Youth
ND HOPES designed a series of social media messages geared specifically for rural residents, veterans, and LGBTQIA2S+ youth. These sample messages are available for you to use free-of-charge in your own outreach activities.
No therapist? No problem. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained mental health professional who is there to help, anytime.
You are not alone. A caring professional is here to help, 24/7. Call or text 988 for free, confidential support. 📲
Too busy to talk? 🏃♂️💨 You can connect with a trained and caring person while on the back of your tractor. 🚜 988 offers 24/7 support. Call, text, or chat 988 to speak with a professional who is there to listen.
Take care of yourself the same way you take care of your ranch. Call, text, or chat 988 to speak with someone who cares. Support is available, 24/7. ☎️ 💻 📆 🕓 🌽
Need someone to talk to? Call or text 988 to speak privately with a trained professional. Support is available, 24/7. 🕓 📆
Ranching is a 24/7 job, but you don’t have to leave the ranch to get help. 988 offers 24/7 support. Call, text, or chat 988 at any time to connect with a trained professional.
No therapist? No problem. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained mental health professional who is there to help, anytime.
Don't leave a fellow soldier behind. If someone you know is struggling with their mental health, help is available, 24/7. Call 988 and press 1 or text 838255 to speak with a caring, trained professional. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
Feeling overwhelmed? The 988 Lifeline provides confidential mental health support for Veterans, 24/7. Get the support you need. Call 988 and press 1 or text 838255 to speak with a caring, trained professional.
It is an act of strength to take a knee for your mental health. Call 988 and press 1 or text 838255 to speak with a caring, qualified responder. 💪 🧠 🇺🇸
We see you and value you for who you are. Call, text, or chat PRIDE to 988 to speak with a trained LGBTQI+ professional. 🌈 📲
Remember: You are loved, and you are never alone. Call, text, or chat PRIDE to 988 to speak with a trained and compassionate LGBTQI+ professional. ❤️
You matter, just the way you are. Take pride in your mental health. 🌈 Call, text, or chat PRIDE to 988 to speak with a trained LGBTQI+ professional.
What you share is your choice. Call or text PRIDE to 988 to speak confidentially with a trained and compassionate LGBTQI+ professional.
North Dakota Behavioral Health HHS Shop
The North Dakota Behavioral Health Division of Health and Human Services has a wide variety of resources you can order at no charge.
Order free materials for your 988 outreach and education efforts.
988 Partner Toolkit
SAMHSA's 988 Partner Toolkit is a resource for social media, video, print, radio, FAQs, messaging, and other marketing materials that can be used to promote the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is designed for states, territories, tribes, crisis centers, communities, emergency service providers, and other partners to speak with one voice so there is a clear understanding about the 988 Lifeline and how it works.
Partners can use, adapt, or build upon these outreach materials to meet the needs of your specific audiences. Some products, such as videos with no music, are designed to be customizable for what you may need for various platforms.
Tips for Communicating about 988 and Other Helplines
When communicating about 988, it is important to tailor the language to your specific audience so that individuals understand how 988 can help them or those they care about. Here are a few tips:
1
Labeling 988 or other helplines as ‘suicide or crisis lines’ may discourage use as some individuals interpret the words ‘crisis’ and ‘suicide’ as meaning that these helplines are only for those in active crisis. When communicating about helplines, emphasize they can be used for a comprehensive set of needs, including emotional or mental health support, substance use, school or relationship issues, interpersonal violence, depression, and anxiety.
2
When advertising to LGBTQIA2S+ people, emphasize that individuals answering the calls/texts understand LGBTQIA2S+ experiences, provide affirming support, and offer a safe space to explore their identity.
3
Many individuals do not want to contact 988 for fear of police involvement and/or mandatory hospitalization. Marketing around 988 should be clear and transparent that 988 is very unlikely to call law enforcement without the caller’s consent.
Trained counselors can most often provide resources, referrals, and support without any need for additional intervention. For a small number of callers who are at imminent risk of harming themselves, police may be called and the caller may be transported to a hospital setting.
Here are some resources with information about best practices in marketing and promoting 988 and other helplines:
Social Media Messaging Resources
The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), in partnership with the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the Ad Council Research Institute, published the results of a mixed-methods formative research study describing the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, barriers, and motivations related to 988 and adopting help-seeking behaviors among populations with a higher risk for or disproportionately impacted by suicide. The research provides a strong starting point for better understanding how to reach key audiences and support culturally sensitive, responsive, effective, and successful 988 communications. The project is funded by SAMHSA through the SPRC grant at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Access the results and a communication toolkit.