Suicide Prevention and Support

You Are Not Alone: Support for Those in the Jewish Community and Beyond Grieving a Death by Suicide

We wish to reassure those grieving that they are not alone, and extend compassion and comfort to those who have lost a loved one to suicide.  

We hope this pamphlet will serve and gently guide individuals and families facing suicide loss, who often need more support, but receive less. We have also created a companion piece: Supporting a Friend or Loved One Through Suicide Loss. 

Grieving a Loss to Suicide Support Group is a monthly drop-in group co-sponsored by JCFS, MISSD and No Shame on U for adults in the Jewish community and beyond who are navigating the world after the loss of a loved one to suicide.  

Therapeutic Support 

JCFS counselors and therapists are available throughout Chicago and its suburbs to help individuals, couples and families grieve the loss of friends and family members who have died by suicide. Learn more about our counseling centers or call 855.275.5237. 

If you are in crisis, or know someone who is in crisis, please reach out for help:

Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach a trained crisis counselor who can help. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States you have access to support. 

Expanding Mental Health Education for Our Community 

Learn new ways to help a friend, parent, child or loved one by bringing a JCFS Mental Health Education program to your synagogue, organization or school. 

• Recognize the signs that someone may be dealing with a mental health problem or crisis. 

• Learn how to actively and compassionately listen and respond to someone in distress, help them seek professional help and connect them with appropriate community, peer, and personal supports. 

Contact Bracha Jakofsky, LCSW, at 847.745.5430 for more information and to schedule a Mental Health Education program.

Resources

Resources for Suicide Prevention and Support is an extensive resource list of information for professionals and community members.  

Please watch this video from MISSD for more information about Akathisia, a disorder, induced as a side effect of medications (including SSRIs and anti-psychotics), which can cause a person such intense restlessness that the sufferer is driven to violence and/or suicide.