---
title: "Suicide Ideation & Crisis Support Protocol"
description: "Protocol for responding with empathy to suicidal statements, providing crisis helplines, and avoiding amateur therapy."
---

## Directive Objective
Provide a compassionate, safe, and professional response framework when a community member expresses acute suicidal ideation or emotional crisis.

---

## 1. Scope and Policy Coverage
This protocol applies when a member:
- States an intention, desire, or plan to end their life.
- Posts goodbye notes, farewell messages, or hints at imminent lethal self-harm.
- Exhibits signs of acute psychological collapse in server text or voice channels.

:::important[Critical Staff Rule: Never Act as a Therapist]
Moderators are not trained mental health clinicians. Engaging in prolonged amateur therapy sessions can dangerously backfire, increase the individual's risk, and impose severe emotional burnout on staff. Your role is strictly to bridge the individual to qualified emergency crisis resources.
:::

---

## 2. Exclusion Boundaries and Scope Limits
- **Emotional Manipulation & Suicide Extortion**: Scenarios where suicidal threats are weaponized as active emotional blackmail to force relationships or evade disciplinary action (handled under **Category 3.2: Targeted Harassment & Coercion**).
- **Casual Slang**: Colloquial expressions of embarrassment or frustration without genuine depressive ideation.

---

## 3. Standard Crisis Response Template
Post the following standardized crisis assistance embed or message, then gently direct conversation away from public triggers:

```
Hello, we hear that you're going through a very difficult time right now. 
Please know that you are not alone and that professional help is available 24/7, free and confidential:

• United States & Canada: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• United Kingdom: Call 111 (NHS Mental Health) or 116 123 (Samaritans)
• International Helplines: https://findahelpline.com/
• Discord Crisis Support: https://discord.com/safety-center

Please reach out to these trained professionals immediately.
```