Caring Contacts
What is It?
Caring Contacts is a simple, evidence-based suicide prevention intervention that involves sending brief messages of care and connection to individuals at risk for suicide. Messages are non-demanding (no response required) and communicate that the person is valued and remembered.
Key features include:
- Brief messages (e.g., postcards, texts, emails, letters)
- Sent periodically (e.g., monthly for a year)
- Express care, connection, and hope, not clinical follow-up or reminders
- Can be sent by organizations, peers, volunteers, or staff
- Effective across settings, including non-clinical organizations
For example:
“We’ve been thinking about you and hope you’re doing okay. If you ever want to reach out, we’re here for you.”
Who is It For?
This approach is for non-profit organizations serving veterans or other populations at risk for suicide, especially those that:
- Do not provide direct clinical services but want to implement supportive, low-cost suicide prevention strategies
- Have contact information for participants, clients, or members
- Want to maintain supportive outreach without requiring program engagement
Possible settings include:
- Veteran peer support programs
- Employment, housing, or reentry organizations
- Faith-based or community outreach programs
- Advocacy groups
What is the Intended Outcome and Impact?
For the organization:
- Strengthens connection with participants or community members
- Demonstrates commitment to care beyond program requirements
- Integrates suicide prevention into services or programs, even when not the primary mission
- Low-cost, high-impact intervention backed by research
- Enhances reputation as an organization that prioritizes well-being
For the veteran:
- Feels remembered and valued, reducing isolation
- Increases hope and sense of belonging, which can protect against suicide risk
- Reduces suicidal ideation and behavior (supported by multiple studies)
- Offers a simple reminder that help and community are available
How Technical Assistance Can Help with Caring Contacts Integration:
- Implementation Planning: Guide organizations in selecting appropriate message formats, frequency, and duration based on their capacity and participant needs and guidelines from the treatment
- Message Development: Provide templates and assist in crafting messages that align with the Caring Contacts model—non-demanding, hopeful, and personalized where possible.
- Workflow Integration: Help integrate the outreach process into existing systems (e.g., CRMs, email platforms, case management tools) to streamline delivery and tracking.