Support for Youth Mental Health during COVID

Dear Friend,

Sadly the first half of this year has already seen 1,206 more lives lost to suicide in Japan compared with the same period last year. This includes the death of Alice Hodgkinson, a British school teacher who went missing at the beginning of July. TELL Ambassador Ben Jennings attended a memorial service for Alice organized by her friend Veronika Danovich on July 24th. Friends and people from the local area participated in the memorial, sharing memories and stories of Alice.  Ben spoke about the warning signs a person may display, resources that can support someone struggling with suicidal thoughts, grief, and unanswered questions those who loved Alice are left with.  

On September 10th (World Suicide Prevention Day), TELL will start the Step Up Challenge with a walk from our Tokyo Office at 18:30 to Yoyogi Koen, where we will light a candle at 8 pm in remembrance of Alice and all those who have lost their lives to suicide. 

The theme of this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day is “creating hope through action.” The Step Up Challenge is a perfect opportunity to work as an individual or group to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness and create some much needed hope for the future, letting those who are struggling know they are not alone. 

TELL invites businesses, schools, community organizations, and individuals to join in walking 21,081 steps in honor of the 21.081 lives lost last year to suicide. Each participant and team can pick a day between World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th) and World Mental Health Day (October 10th) to complete their challenge. The event will continue to offer corporate, community, and school cup competitions for 2 - 4 people teams. Although this is a walking challenge, we invite participants of all abilities to join and interpret the challenge in a way that makes sense to them. Join us in creating hope and shattering the stigma around mental health. 

The TELL team continues working hard every day to ensure the Lifeline is up and running and that we can share needed resources with the community. In March, 40 new volunteers were accepted into the Lifeline Support worker training program, and 35 have graduated to solo chat and phone shifts. Additionally, we have increased the number of shifts offered each month and increased the number of volunteers available to support users in need at crucial times. It is crucial that individuals know they can reach out to TELL and that there will be someone to listen, help them access shelters and develop safety plans if necessary. Studies have shown that suicide can be prevented when a person has someone who will listen to them and help them through those dark times. 

This Fall, join TELL as a team or as an individual and Step Up for mental health. Every step you take can help save lives and make a difference by raising money and awareness to help take the TELL Lifeline Services 24/7.

Many thanks,

Vickie Skorji

Lifeline Services Director