September is National Suicide Prevention Month

August 31, 2022 4:50 PM
by Ivy Chang

Updated September 15, 2023

The City of Santa Monica is committed to supporting a community where mental health is prioritized and diverse paths towards recovery and healing are celebrated.

Recognizing the importance of suicide prevention, the City of Santa Monica is sponsoring this year’s Greater Los Angeles Out of the Darkness Walk, taking place on the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, October 21, at 9 a.m. The walk is organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which will accept a proclamation for Suicide Prevention Month presented by Mayor Davis at the September 12 City Council meeting. City Hall will also be lit in purple and turquoise from September 1 to 14 to symbolize suicide awareness and prevention.

If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, help is available 24/7. Call or text 988 to connect with someone at the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. LA County Department of Mental Health also offers help and resources at dmh.lacounty.gov.

• Throughout September / Reading List for Suicide Prevention Month. Explore a reading list including fiction and nonfiction curated for adults and teens by the Santa Monica Public Library. 
• September 1 - 14, 2023 / City Hall will be lit in purple and turquoise in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month.
• September 12, 2023 / Suicide Prevention Month Proclamation. We invite you to watch a clip of the City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 12, where the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), organizers of the Out of the Darkness Walk, accepted a proclamation from Mayor Davis recognizing Suicide Prevention Month and Week.
• October 21, 2023 / Out of the Darkness Walk. AFSP is hosting the annual Greater Los Angeles Out of the Darkness Walk on the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, October 21. The Out of the Darkness Walk is a journey of remembrance, hope, and support. It unites communities and provides an opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental health conditions have affected our lives and the lives of those we love and care about.

Authored By

Ivy Chang
Senior Administrative Analyst