For All Seasons Hosts a Variety of Activities for Suicide Prevention Month 2026

For All Seasons Hosts a Variety of Activities for Suicide Prevention Month 2026

For the past 10 years, each September, For All Seasons has launched its annual “No Matter What… You Matter” suicide prevention campaign. The agency is holding several events in September to educate the community about suicide prevention, focusing on this year’s theme, “What if ‘I’m Fine’ isn’t the whole story?”

For All Seasons’ free community Speaker Series will be the centerpiece for September activities. This year, acclaimed guest speaker and author Annie Brewster, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and founder of Health Story Collaborative, will be speaking at the Ebenezer Theatre at 17 S. Washington Street in Easton, MD, on September 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Dr. Brewster’s talk, “Reclaiming Our Stories, Reclaiming Ourselves,” will explore how personal stories can foster connection and resilience. Her book, “The Healing Power of Storytelling: Using Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma, and Loss,” draws on her work with individuals and communities navigating these challenges and explores how sharing and listening to stories can support healing. Her talk will also highlight the social science research on the health benefits of storytelling and offer practical ways to apply these insights in everyday life. A question-and-answer period and book signing will follow the talk.

With the evening’s focus on stories, the September 16 program will begin close to home by recognizing first responders whose actions have made a meaningful difference in suicide prevention. The program will open with a brief presentation of the HOPE Awards, a nationally recognized initiative established in 2019 to honor individuals who have saved lives, supported people in crisis, and advanced awareness around mental health and hope. For the first time, For All Seasons and Talbot FiRST™ are bringing the HOPE Awards to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, recognizing law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and 9-1-1 operators whose actions have positively impacted individuals experiencing mental health challenges and suicidal crises.

Young people are another critical focus of For All Seasons’ suicide prevention work. Mental Health America reported that 51% of individuals under age 18 experienced frequent suicidal thoughts in 2025, marking the highest level recorded since their screening program began in 2014. For All Seasons is expanding its prevention efforts with a new self-paced online course, Real Talk: Conversations that Save Lives, created to help trusted adults better understand and respond to the mental health needs of middle and high school students. The course combines suicide prevention education with practical guidance for educators, counselors, coaches, youth leaders, parents, and other adults who play an important role in young people’s lives. The course includes three types of video lessons. Some build participants’ understanding of suicide prevention and mental health topics that commonly affect adolescents. Others focus on how adults can “show up” as trusted adults by listening, recognizing when a young person may be struggling, responding without judgment, and knowing when additional support is needed. A third group of video lessons is designed to be shown directly to teens as a way to open conversations about difficult topics. The lessons incorporating these video messages are accompanied by discussion guides that help adults continue the conversation and explore the issues more deeply. Local youth volunteered to appear in several of the video lessons, bringing their own voices and perspectives to topics such as social media, rumors and group chats, isolation and belonging, anger as a possible sign of emotional distress, reaching out when a friend is struggling, and telling a trusted adult when something does not feel right.

On September 30 from 12 to 1:30 p.m., the For All Seasons Center for Learning will host “Time + Space + Safety: An Introduction to CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means),” led by Lauren Weber, Chief Strategy Officer, and Lesa Mulcahy, Chief Clinical Officer. Access to lethal means can turn a temporary suicidal crisis into a permanent outcome, and CALM offers an evidence-informed approach to reducing that risk by creating time, space, and safety during periods of crisis. Designed for mental health professionals and other caring adults who may encounter individuals at risk for suicide, the presentation will explore how conversations grounded in empathy and respect can open the door to meaningful safety planning and practical approaches for discussing firearms, medications, and other lethal means.

The September 30 Lunch and Learn will serve as a one-hour introduction to CALM and its core principles. For those seeking a deeper understanding, For All Seasons will also offer a self-paced online course, Real Talk: Suicide Prevention Through Lethal Means Safety, beginning in mid-September. The online course provides a more comprehensive look at the CALM approach and how its principles can be applied in real-world conversations about firearms, medications, and other lethal means.

For All Seasons’ “No Matter What… You Matter” suicide prevention campaign reminds the community that starting a conversation with someone who is struggling can be difficult, but you don’t need to have the perfect words. What matters is reaching out, asking directly if someone feels suicidal when you’re concerned, listening without judgment, and helping connect someone to support. Most importantly, keep checking in and stay connected; always letting someone know they matter can make a meaningful difference.

For more information about the month’s activities, please visit www.NoMatterWhatYouMatter.org or https://centerforlearning.forallseasonsinc.org/education/.

For All Seasons Behavioral Health & Rape Crisis Center offers mental health services, victim and crisis support, and education and outreach on Maryland’s Mid-Shore and throughout the state. The agency’s unique model of care ensures anyone can receive high-quality, trauma-certified mental health care when they need it – regardless of language or ability to pay. For information about For All Seasons’ walk-in hours, call 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsinc.org.

For the past 10 years, each September, For All Seasons has launched its annual “No Matter What… You Matter” suicide prevention campaign. The agency is holding several events in September to educate the community about suicide and this year’s theme, “What if I’m Fine isn’t the whole story?”