injury and violence prevention branch

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Safe & Protective Environments

The Office of Suicide Prevention works to develop safe and protective environments through building resiliency, enhancing social connectedness, and promoting lethal means safety to reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide.

Social-Emotional Learning and Resilience

What is social-emotional learning and resilience? And how are they connected to Safe & Protective Environments?

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) helps create safe and protective environments by strengthening the emotional and social skills that reduce suicide risk and build resilience. SEL teaches protective skills such as emotional regulation, coping, problem-solving, and connection — all of which can buffer the negative impacts of trauma, stress, and isolation. By fostering empathy, inclusion, and strong relationships, SEL and resilience help create environments where people feel valued, supported and safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight the importance of SEL and resilience as key components of a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention in the Suicide Prevention Resource for Action.

Please also visit our pages on Training & Resources and Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) for more information and resources.

Social-Emotional Resources

BrightLife Kids | Free, personalized coaching in English and Spanish for California caregivers of children ages 0–12. Offers live video sessions, secure chat, and on-demand resources—no insurance needed.
Child Mind Institute - Healthy Minds Thriving Kids | A series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their kids critical mental health and coping skills. The project was born of an innovative partnership between the state of California and the Child Mind Institute.

Mirror | Free, confidential digital journaling app codeveloped with teens designed to enhance mental wellness for youth.
Office of the California Surgeon General – Safe Spaces | Free, online trauma-informed training in English and Spanish to help educators and child-care professionals recognize and respond to stress and trauma in children ages 0–18.

Soluna | Free app offering confidential behavioral health support, multimedia resources, and peer communities for 13-to 25-year-olds.
Suicide Prevention Resource Center – Enhance Life Skills and Resilience | Focuses on teaching life skills such as coping, problem-solving, and stress management skills to build resilience and reduce suicide risk.
Youth Creating Change – Mental Health Thrival Kits | Youth-centered wellness resources designed to celebrate mental health, promote positive coping skills, and encourage help-seeking behaviors with journaling, breathing techniques, coloring pages, and culturally responsive mental health and crisis resources. Available in English, Spanish, and culturally adapted versions for Korean-American and Filipino-American youth.

Lethal Means Safety

What is lethal means safety?

Lethal means safety involves reducing access to methods commonly used in suicide, such as firearms, medications, or other lethal means, to decrease the risk of suicide. This approach is based on the understanding that individuals at risk for suicide often act impulsively, and removing or securing lethal means can provide critical time for intervention and support. Below are resources on lethal means safety.

Lethal Means Safety Resources

National

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention & National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) | Offers firearm safety information and a Free “Have a Brave Conversation” toolkit, which helps firearm retailers and shooting ranges to educate staff and customers about suicide prevention.
Be SMART – SMART Conversations | Video series demonstrating how to have conversations about secure gun storage (storing guns unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition) to protect children and reduce risk.
The Armory Project | A community-focused suicide prevention resource that connects firearm owners with trusted partners offering temporary firearm storage and supportive tools to reduce suicide risk and encourage help-seeking.
The BulletPoints Project | Offers clinical tools to help medical and mental health providers reduce firearm injury risk.
Lock to Live | Confidential online tool that helps individuals and families choose safe, practical options for temporarily reducing access to firearms and medications during times of crisis. It supports lethal-means safety through personalized guidance.

Project ChildSafe | Provides free educational resources to promote responsible firearm ownership and safe storage practices nationwide.
Striving for Safety | Provides tools and checklists to help individuals, families, and communities limit access to lethal means and create safer environments during times of elevated suicide risk
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Safe Firearm Storage Toolkit (PDF)| Toolkit from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offering guidance and resources on safely storing firearms to reduce suicide risk.
Walk The Talk America (WTTA) | Pro–Second Amendment nonprofit promoting mental health and suicide prevention in gun-owning communities through screenings, training, and resources.