Donated $105 to Samaritans of Singapore using dividends collected in my Permanent Stocks Holdings.
https://www.sos.org.sg/
A crisis can hit anyone at any time. The sense of hopelessness and despair at the height of a crisis can cause people to contemplate suicide as a way to escape their emotional pain.
However, people can and do recover from this difficult period, especially when there is strong support from the people around them. Some people may also need professional support to help them through a crisis.
If YOU are in some form of crisis or feeling suicidal, then contact someone and let them know about it.
If someone you know is going through a hard time, do know that you are already helping just by being there for the person! Find out more about helping someone in crisis.
Who We Are
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) is the only suicide prevention centre in Singapore. It is a secular non-profit organisation which provides 24-hour confidential emotional support to people who have difficulty coping during a crisis, who are thinking of suicide or affected by suicide. Since it was established on 1 December 1969, SOS has developed into a professionally run and managed organisation.
Our Vision
To be the premier organization in suicide prevention.
Our Mission
To be an available lifeline to anyone in crisis.
Our Work
SOS adopts a holistic approach, focusing on prevention, intervention and postvention.
Prevention
At SOS, we believe that suicide prevention is everybody's business, and require the combined effort of many. Our suicide prevention work hence includes our various outreach projects to rally the community to look out for one another as well as encourage the public to seek help when they feel distressed. We conduct talks and workshops for youths and the community to raise greater awareness of suicide and impart basic knowledge and skills. We also run different professional training programmes to equip front liners and professionals in the field with the right set of knowledge and skills in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. Last but not least, our email befriending service and 24-hour hotline provide emotional support to people who are having difficulties coping during a crisis.
Intervention
Our early intervention work starts when we provide emotional support to people in crisis or thinking of suicide through our email befriending service and 24-hour hotline. We also intervene during a critical suicide crisis via the hotline and in rare instances, on-site during emergency situations*. When required, our professional staff, who are trained counselors, social workers and psychologists, continue the crisis and suicide intervention work through face-to-face counselling sessions.
Postvention
When there has been a suicide death, family, friends and other people are affected too. Through our Local Outreach to Suicide Survivor (LOSS) programme, we provide information and emotional support to survivors, especially at the early stage of the crisis. Counselling is also available for family members and friends grieving a suicide death. Our postvention work also include our support group for survivors, the Healing Bridge, which provides a safe place for survivors to express their struggles and receive support from other survivors. As survivors of suicide are themselves at high risk of suicide, suicide postvention also plays a preventive role.
PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING
SOS provides a specialised counselling service, focussing on crisis intervention and suicide prevention. All counselling sessions are conducted by in-house counsellors, psychologists and social workers. Counselling is also provided to family members and friends grieving a suicide death.
Health and mental health professionals who have lost a client or a loved one to suicide may also require support, as the impact of these losses may affect their personal life and clinical work. SOS provides counselling to these clinician-survivors who would like some support during their difficult period.
CRISIS SUPPORT
SOS works closely with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and various partners in the community to help those who are suicidal, in critical emotional distress, or affected by suicide. When SOS receives a referral from a community partner or a concerned third party, SOS initiates contact with the person-at-risk and offer support through outgoing calls, emails and smses. Professional counselling can also be arranged as and when appropriate.
CASE CONSULTATION
SOS is a resource for other agencies and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) which need to consult on cases concerning suicide crises or suicide death.
TRAINING
At SOS, we believe that "suicide prevention is everybody's business". As such, SOS's training workshops have been carefully designed with the intent to cultivate, equip and develop everyone with the right set of skills in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
SOS offers a full range of talks, trainings and workshops targeted towards:
- Professionals working in the social service sector or related field (e.g., counsellors, social workers, school counsellors)
- Frontline staff & volunteers (e.g., teachers, peer leaders, caregivers)
- General public
Basic training and awareness talks for students are also available.
COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND OUTREACH
SOS also conducts talks and sharing sessions on suicide prevention to increase community awareness and vigilance. Various outreach projects are also conducted throughout the year.
EMAIL BEFRIENDING
People in distress, thinking of suicide, or affected by suicide can seek emotional support through email. Information shared will be kept confidential and Pat will reply within 48 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays). If you need someone to talk to urgently, please call the SOS hotline.
24-hour hotline
The SOS hotline, 1800-221 4444, is available round-the-clock to anyone who is in crisis, thinking of suicide or affected by suicide. Calls are taken by trained volunteers who come from diverse backgrounds but share a common capacity to care and listen to anyone who is going through a difficult time. SOS professional staff are there to provide consultation and support the volunteers, as well as to follow-up on critical cases.
Callers can choose to remain anonymous and all information shared by callers will be treated as confidential.
Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS)
LOSS is the only local outreach programme providing emotional support to people affected by the suicide death of someone close. The activiation of a loss team to a suicide site, mortuary or residence usually marks the start of our work with the grieving families. After the first contact, our professional staff follows up with the survivors through emails, phone calls, and SMSes.
Healing bridge
Healing bridge is a suicide bereavement support group co-faciliated by our professionals staff trained in grief work and experienced survivors. Members of the Healing Bridge meet at SOS to share their experiences and talk about their feelings. They also receive comfort and encouragement from others who have suffered similar losses.
Volunteer
Volunteering is about giving your time, skills and commitment, out of your own free will, to a meaningful cause without expectation of any financial reward.
In Singapore, 1 person dies from suicide every day. SOS runs a 24-hour crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline which is operated by trained volunteers from diverse backgrounds. SOS receives more than 100 calls a day. There are probably many more callers who are unable to get through our hotline. The number of calls we receive is limited by the number of volunteers available to answer those calls. We wonder how many more individuals who are in crisis or contemplating suicide give up while trying to reach us.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS WHO:
HOW WILL YOU BENEFIT FROM BEING A VOLUNTEER:
Other ways of supporting SOS
Raise funds for sOS
You can organise fund raising events and nominate SOS as the beneficiary. Fund raising events can also have the benefit of raising awareness about suicide in Singapore and the services available to people in crisis, thinking of suicide or affected by suicide.
Sponsor A Suicide Awareness Campaign Or Event
Raising suicide awareness is a very important aspect of the work SOS does. Every year in September SOS organises a Suicide Awareness Week to commemorate the World Suicide Prevention Day during which special events, training and suicide awareness campaigns are carried out. SOS also holds ad-hoc events and activities to raise suicide awareness in the community or among targeted groups. Such events cost money, and we often need sponsorship for the venue, prizes, publicity materials, and other miscellaneous expenses.
Publicise SOS Services
Through print and online media, posters, brochures and other collaterals, SOS seeks to remind people that they do not have to face a crisis alone. You can support us by providing complimentary media space and avenues to publicise our services.
Contact :-
telephone : Call our 24-hour hotline at: 1800-221-4444
email : pat@samaritans.org.sg
Address :-
Samaritans of Singapore
Block 10 Cantonment Close
#01-01 (HDB Multi-storey carpark)
Singapore 080010
Fax: +65 6220 7758
https://www.sos.org.sg/
A crisis can hit anyone at any time. The sense of hopelessness and despair at the height of a crisis can cause people to contemplate suicide as a way to escape their emotional pain.
However, people can and do recover from this difficult period, especially when there is strong support from the people around them. Some people may also need professional support to help them through a crisis.
If YOU are in some form of crisis or feeling suicidal, then contact someone and let them know about it.
If someone you know is going through a hard time, do know that you are already helping just by being there for the person! Find out more about helping someone in crisis.
Who We Are
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) is the only suicide prevention centre in Singapore. It is a secular non-profit organisation which provides 24-hour confidential emotional support to people who have difficulty coping during a crisis, who are thinking of suicide or affected by suicide. Since it was established on 1 December 1969, SOS has developed into a professionally run and managed organisation.
Our Vision
To be the premier organization in suicide prevention.
Our Mission
To be an available lifeline to anyone in crisis.
Our Work
SOS adopts a holistic approach, focusing on prevention, intervention and postvention.
Prevention
At SOS, we believe that suicide prevention is everybody's business, and require the combined effort of many. Our suicide prevention work hence includes our various outreach projects to rally the community to look out for one another as well as encourage the public to seek help when they feel distressed. We conduct talks and workshops for youths and the community to raise greater awareness of suicide and impart basic knowledge and skills. We also run different professional training programmes to equip front liners and professionals in the field with the right set of knowledge and skills in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. Last but not least, our email befriending service and 24-hour hotline provide emotional support to people who are having difficulties coping during a crisis.
Intervention
Our early intervention work starts when we provide emotional support to people in crisis or thinking of suicide through our email befriending service and 24-hour hotline. We also intervene during a critical suicide crisis via the hotline and in rare instances, on-site during emergency situations*. When required, our professional staff, who are trained counselors, social workers and psychologists, continue the crisis and suicide intervention work through face-to-face counselling sessions.
Postvention
When there has been a suicide death, family, friends and other people are affected too. Through our Local Outreach to Suicide Survivor (LOSS) programme, we provide information and emotional support to survivors, especially at the early stage of the crisis. Counselling is also available for family members and friends grieving a suicide death. Our postvention work also include our support group for survivors, the Healing Bridge, which provides a safe place for survivors to express their struggles and receive support from other survivors. As survivors of suicide are themselves at high risk of suicide, suicide postvention also plays a preventive role.
PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING
SOS provides a specialised counselling service, focussing on crisis intervention and suicide prevention. All counselling sessions are conducted by in-house counsellors, psychologists and social workers. Counselling is also provided to family members and friends grieving a suicide death.
Health and mental health professionals who have lost a client or a loved one to suicide may also require support, as the impact of these losses may affect their personal life and clinical work. SOS provides counselling to these clinician-survivors who would like some support during their difficult period.
CRISIS SUPPORT
SOS works closely with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and various partners in the community to help those who are suicidal, in critical emotional distress, or affected by suicide. When SOS receives a referral from a community partner or a concerned third party, SOS initiates contact with the person-at-risk and offer support through outgoing calls, emails and smses. Professional counselling can also be arranged as and when appropriate.
CASE CONSULTATION
SOS is a resource for other agencies and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) which need to consult on cases concerning suicide crises or suicide death.
TRAINING
At SOS, we believe that "suicide prevention is everybody's business". As such, SOS's training workshops have been carefully designed with the intent to cultivate, equip and develop everyone with the right set of skills in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
SOS offers a full range of talks, trainings and workshops targeted towards:
- Professionals working in the social service sector or related field (e.g., counsellors, social workers, school counsellors)
- Frontline staff & volunteers (e.g., teachers, peer leaders, caregivers)
- General public
Basic training and awareness talks for students are also available.
COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND OUTREACH
SOS also conducts talks and sharing sessions on suicide prevention to increase community awareness and vigilance. Various outreach projects are also conducted throughout the year.
EMAIL BEFRIENDING
People in distress, thinking of suicide, or affected by suicide can seek emotional support through email. Information shared will be kept confidential and Pat will reply within 48 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays). If you need someone to talk to urgently, please call the SOS hotline.
24-hour hotline
The SOS hotline, 1800-221 4444, is available round-the-clock to anyone who is in crisis, thinking of suicide or affected by suicide. Calls are taken by trained volunteers who come from diverse backgrounds but share a common capacity to care and listen to anyone who is going through a difficult time. SOS professional staff are there to provide consultation and support the volunteers, as well as to follow-up on critical cases.
Callers can choose to remain anonymous and all information shared by callers will be treated as confidential.
Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS)
LOSS is the only local outreach programme providing emotional support to people affected by the suicide death of someone close. The activiation of a loss team to a suicide site, mortuary or residence usually marks the start of our work with the grieving families. After the first contact, our professional staff follows up with the survivors through emails, phone calls, and SMSes.
Healing bridge
Healing bridge is a suicide bereavement support group co-faciliated by our professionals staff trained in grief work and experienced survivors. Members of the Healing Bridge meet at SOS to share their experiences and talk about their feelings. They also receive comfort and encouragement from others who have suffered similar losses.
Volunteer
Volunteering is about giving your time, skills and commitment, out of your own free will, to a meaningful cause without expectation of any financial reward.
In Singapore, 1 person dies from suicide every day. SOS runs a 24-hour crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline which is operated by trained volunteers from diverse backgrounds. SOS receives more than 100 calls a day. There are probably many more callers who are unable to get through our hotline. The number of calls we receive is limited by the number of volunteers available to answer those calls. We wonder how many more individuals who are in crisis or contemplating suicide give up while trying to reach us.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS WHO:
- Are at least 23 years old, preferably with working and life experiences. This is because volunteering with SOS requires some level of emotional maturity and an understanding of life's ups and downs.
- Are able to respect the confidentiality of SOS work.
- Are willing to abide by our policy of anonymity. SOS hotline volunteers cannot tell anyone, apart from their close immediate family, of their involvement with SOS.
- Can communicate comfortably in English. (Additional proficiency in Mandarin, Malay, Tamil or local dialects would be a bonus).
- Can commit to volunteer duties for at least 2 years upon completion of volunteer training. Aside from weekly duties, volunteers do one overnight duty per month and take turns to be on stand-by for emergencies once every month.
- Have a positive attitude towards volunteering and learning.
HOW WILL YOU BENEFIT FROM BEING A VOLUNTEER:
- Comprehensive training, comprising weekly sessions over a 1-year period.
- One-to-one supervision.
- Opportunities for learning, self-growth and development.
- Support from professional staff.
- Great friendships with other like-minded people.
- A sense of well-being from helping someone emotionally through a crisis.
Other ways of supporting SOS
Raise funds for sOS
You can organise fund raising events and nominate SOS as the beneficiary. Fund raising events can also have the benefit of raising awareness about suicide in Singapore and the services available to people in crisis, thinking of suicide or affected by suicide.
Sponsor A Suicide Awareness Campaign Or Event
Raising suicide awareness is a very important aspect of the work SOS does. Every year in September SOS organises a Suicide Awareness Week to commemorate the World Suicide Prevention Day during which special events, training and suicide awareness campaigns are carried out. SOS also holds ad-hoc events and activities to raise suicide awareness in the community or among targeted groups. Such events cost money, and we often need sponsorship for the venue, prizes, publicity materials, and other miscellaneous expenses.
Publicise SOS Services
Through print and online media, posters, brochures and other collaterals, SOS seeks to remind people that they do not have to face a crisis alone. You can support us by providing complimentary media space and avenues to publicise our services.
Contact :-
telephone : Call our 24-hour hotline at: 1800-221-4444
email : pat@samaritans.org.sg
Address :-
Samaritans of Singapore
Block 10 Cantonment Close
#01-01 (HDB Multi-storey carpark)
Singapore 080010
Fax: +65 6220 7758
Hi Money Honey,
ReplyDelete*Claps* for another good deed, indeed. It is something new to me to hear about SOS. It is good to raise awareness for Suicide Prevention, which is very often something that people neglect.
There are increasing number of people having suicidal thoughts as the going gets tough especially in this rat race society - failed business, unemployment, failed marriage, disastrous academic results, mountain high debts, etc etc More can be done to prevent suicide and every little efforts by us (the general public, humanitarian organization, government, religious group, others) are important to prevent unnecessary loss of life.
DeleteCongrat on a good deed!!! Well done....
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading this blog. I am happy to help and it's within the amount l can afford to donate.
ReplyDelete