What We Do Mission: to assist people in identifying, accessing, and making effective use of community and volunteer resources Vision: to be the first link in linking people and resources 24 hours a day

Why and How We Do It We believe in fighting the stigma of mental health issues and suicide through the services we provide: Access to 24-hour help and hope through the 2-1-1 Helpline and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Trainings on suicide and mental health that range from a few hours to 2 days. Follow-up calls to those that need extra support after suicidal thoughts or actions. Emily Slide 1-12

FirstLink Today 24 Hour Telephone Services ​ FirstLink 2-1-1 Helpline ​ Contract Agencies ​ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) ​ ​ Suicide Support Services ​ Suicide Follow-up Call Program ​ Suicide Education Outreach in the schools ​ Suicide Prevention Trainings​ Giving Tree of Hope with Toys for Tots – For Cass County, ND, Clay County, MN and surrounding area

FirstLink 2-1-1 Helpline 2-1-1 or 701-235-SEEK (7335) Free telephone service available 24 hours a day. Listening and Support- Provides a supportive, non- judgmental listening ear to anyone in need of support. Information and Referral about Health and Human Services. Mainly Nonprofit Organizations and Government Agencies Available to North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota.

Database of Community Resources Contains thousands of different programs, nonprofits, and government agencies Each entry includes a brief program description, contact information, eligibility requirements, fees and office hours Viewable online: www.myfirstlink.org Click: “Find Resources Here”

Database of Community Resources Individuals are welcome to call about a variety of needs including, but not limited to: Abuse/Assault Addiction Basic Needs Disability Disaster Assistance Emergency Shelter Employment Faith Communities Financial Assistance Food Assistance Gambling Grief Healthcare Libraries Mental Health Military Support Parenting Recreation Senior Centers Substance Abuse Suicide Support Groups Transportation Volunteer Opportunities Youth AND MUCH MORE!!!

Met Needs FirstLink uses our call data is see patterns in what needs exist in our community. Below are the three top needs that callers had in 2017.  Rent Payment Assistance Electric Service Payment Assistance Food Pantries

Offering a Helping Hand When someone who you know has run out of places to turn, tell them to dial 2-1-1 or 701-235-7335 (SEEK) Every ten minutes FirstLink answers a phone call from someone in North Dakota or Clay County, Minnesota who needs our help We listen, we support, we connect.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Connected to national network of crisis centers so no call goes unanswered Help those who are having thoughts of suicide or who have a concern about someone Only crisis center in North Dakota to answer NSPL calls

Suicide Follow-Up Program A voluntary program offered to individuals needing additional support. Callers who dial our 2-1-1 Helpline and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) Patients being discharged from select clinics and hospitals in North Dakota Part of a research project with Columbia University to evaluate effectiveness of suicide follow-up calls. Main goals: Offer support and resources Create a safety plan Check to see if person is utilizing services

2017 Statistics Total ICS Calls: 51,351 Total Resources Given: 19,407 Calls related to suicide: 6,533 4,810 Suicide Follow-up Calls made in 2017 Contacted Dispatch/Law Enforcement : 45

Call Types

Suicide Related Calls

Suicide Education Outreach Provided since 1996 Primarily serves 7th-12th grade students in Fargo and West Fargo, but is also available for other groups in Cass and Clay counties Students are trained on suicide statistics, risk factors, warning signs, and resources for help. On average 2,500 local students participate each year

Suicide Alertness Training SafeTALK 3-Hour Suicide Alertness training developed by LivingWorks, Inc. Helps people identify those who have thoughts of suicide Teaches participants to connect a person with thoughts of suicide to a suicide first aid intervention caregiver.

Suicide Intervention Training Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) A 2-day workshop developed by LivingWorks, Inc. Trains any community member to become a more effective suicide first-aid caregiver. Used nationwide by all National Suicide Prevention Lifeline centers and internationally by many mental health and government organizations.

Mental Health First Aid MHFA is an 8- Hour, evidence-based training program committed to empowering individuals to identify, understand and respond to those in mental health and substance abuse crises.  Mental Health First Aid has been shown to increase mental health literacy and decrease the stigma of mental illness among participants. FirstLink offers Adult MHFA and Youth MHFA for adults that frequently interact with youth.

Giving Tree of Hope/ Toys for Tots & Connection Fair Offers assistance to those in need during the holiday season (children and adults with special needs) Coordinates the collection and distribution of new donated holiday gifts to meet the needs of individuals in the Cass-Clay community Provides volunteers with opportunities to serve

2017 GTOH/T4T 11,480 gifts were collected 4,061 individuals received gifts within 1,070 families 399 volunteers dedicated 1,396.75 hours of their time 30 agencies received the remaining gifts 77 businesses and churches throughout our community were sponsors 8 organizations were at our Connection Fair

How We Can Help You Save you time to allow you to focus on higher priority situations - Provide information about resources - Provide 24 hour emotional support - Be a safety contact number - De-escalate situations and reduce the need for emergency services Available for trainings to help increase understanding about mental health and suicide

Questions or Comments? 24 Hour Helpline: 2-1-1 or 701-235-7335 (SEEK) NSPL (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline): 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) Website: www.myfirstlink.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/myfirstlink Twitter: twitter.com/myfirstlink_org Blog: myfirstlink.areavoices.com Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/myfirstlink Pinterest: pinterest.com/firstlink