The SAFE U Initiative
星洲守护心灵企划
Hello and welcome! The SAFE U Initiative (also known officially as 星洲守护心灵企划) is a community initiative in Singapore providing pro bono mental health and suicide support to any individual in need. We distinguish between mental health and suicide because not all suicides are caused by mental disorders. We adopt a retrospective approach and work backwards from a suicide perspective to destigmatise mental health conditions and address important precipitants such as interpersonal challenges and sense of hopelessness.
Our services cover the full spectrum of suicide prevention, intervention and postvention . We also provide general mental health advisory services and engage in mental health promotion. The initiative is non-profit and all you have to do is pay it forward. We journey with you to give life a second chance!
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Did you know?
Suicidal tendencies fluctuate. We intervene by providing a safe space to explore and transform ambivalence into the possibility of a life waiting to be fulfilled.
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A Sincere Letter to the Suicidal U
“If you’re looking for a sign not to kill yourself, this is it.”
It is not your fault to feel suicidal when things seem hopeless and there is no apparent solution to your emotional pain. Suicide is not a selfish choice. We know you care about your loved ones more than anything in this world. Please know that you are not alone in this world. You don't have to carry everything on your shoulders and try to protect your loved ones. It is okay to fail, it is okay to be imperfect. Most of all, mental illness or adversities do not define you. You are never tainted by negative life experiences. They only help you find direction and meaning in life.
Are you seeking help or brushing these suicidal tendencies aside? Suicidal thoughts and feelings are like the wave. They come and go. Sometimes big, sometimes small. Seeking help can feel difficult but it is never as painful as that swell of emotional turmoil which consumes your soul. It is also never as traumatisng as being apprehended. Most people are empathetic to suicidal individuals and are willing to help. It is okay to be judicious and choose a service which resonates with you. Just be mindful that you are not abusing these services or the people who help you. These actions will only perpetuate stigma about suicidal individuals. Think about what happens when no one is willing to help you and involuntary admission is the only option. Suicide is not a choice but you are still making choices about whether you will be treated with dignity or humiliation.
It is okay to have thoughts of suicide but death itself is a scary thought. The possibility of pain, nothingness after death and a permanent inability to right the wrongs and unfairness you have endured so far. You shouldn't have to consult online forums or chat groups on how to die painlessly when so many anonymous forum/chat group users are just happy to create havoc and use you as a test subject. You are already suffering as it is so don't let others make a mockery of your life.
Life is about enjoying every single happy moment of our short journey on earth. It could be your first present, your first taste of love or even an unforgettable bowl of laksa. So stay around abit more and see what a different life you can have.
给生活中挣扎的你
我们活在浩瀚的宇宙里，漫天漂浮的宇宙尘埃和星河光尘，我们是比这些还要渺小的存在。你并不知道生活在什么时候突然改变方向，陷入墨水一般浓稠的黑暗里去。你被失望拖进深渊，你被疾病拉近坟墓，你被挫折践踏的体无完肤，你被嘲笑、被讽刺、被讨厌、被怨恨、被放弃。但是我们却总在内心里保留着希望保留着不甘心放弃跳动的心。我们依然在大大的绝望里小小的努力着。这种不想放弃的心情，它们变成无边黑暗的小小星辰。我们都是小小的星辰。
----------郭敬明《小时代》
你并不孤单。
正如郭敬明在《小时代》中所说，我们都只是浩瀚宇宙中微小的尘埃。生活难免会充满挑战和挫折，我们可能会感到失望、悲伤、甚至绝望。你的感受是真实的。 承认并接受自己的感受很重要，在困难的时候，要特别善待自己。你现在的处境并不能代表你过去的价值。你不用压抑自己的情绪，也不需要因为自己的感受而感到羞耻。接受自己的不快乐和其它负面情绪，才能有希望从困境中突围而出。然而，重要的是要记住，这些黑暗时刻都只是暂时的。
希望的光芒永远存在，即使它微弱得难以察觉。
你内心的力量一直比你想象的要强大。即使你觉得自己被黑暗包围，也请相信，你仍然拥有改变的力量。你可以在绝望中找到希望，在逆境中找到力量。
世界上最黑暗的时刻，往往也是黎明前的黑暗。
你不需要独自面对这些挑战。有许多人关心你，并愿意提供帮助。你可以向朋友、家人、治疗师或其他值得信赖的人寻求支持。记住，你不是一个人。 许多人都曾经历过类似的感受。他们已经克服了这些困难，你也可以。
请不要放弃希望。
我们内心的希望，如同点点星辰，照亮着前行的道路。即使微弱，也要坚持不懈地努力，因为即使是最小的光亮，也能穿透最深沉的黑暗。
我们诚心希望你能战胜困难，重新找到生命的希望和光亮。不为什么，只因我们相信你值得拥有更美好的未来。
About Us
The SAFE U Initiative is a community initiative born out of our desire to change how mental health and suicide support is envisioned in Singapore. We were established in November 2023, making us the first Safe Space Intervention for suicidal individuals in Singapore.
In Australia and the United Kingdom, the concept of Safe Spaces reduced psychiatric admissions by 40%.
We extensively referenced the existing literature and created our own suicide intervention protocol (SAFE UP) from scratch. In doing so, we created a suicide intervention programme which is specific to Singapore. We went further by extending the limits of what a Safe Space can do by effectively covering client presentations spanning the whole mental health spectrum.
When a person approaches us, we conduct a screening followed by our in-house intervention programme (1-2 hours). We then monitor the person for up to 6 months until recovery. We are the only suicide support service in the world focused on preventing suicide by reducing future suicide attempts via augmented monitoring. This effectively means that we have the most advanced suicide monitoring system in Singapore.
As we are situated within the community, we are able to realise true community mental health. We offer a viable alternative to institutionalised care for individuals with low to moderate high risk of suicide. By doing so, we destigmatise suicide and mental health and provide a sustainable social impact through a whole-of-community approach involving persons in need, their caregivers and community volunteers.
What makes us different?
Quite simply, our suicide intervention programme is evidence-based and effective. You won't find a similar one in Singapore and Asia because our work is innovative and original. We are not just another peer support initiative or crisis hotline. We have already moved ahead of the curve in Singapore's National Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy by integrating different tiers of care within our programme.
We fill the huge existing service gap between lower level psychological support (peer support & hotlines) and high level psychiatric services (IMH) so no one will fall through.
Our approach is collaborative and client-centred as it leads to better recovery outcomes. As such, a high level of trust between clients and volunteers is paramount to success. Clients assume a greater level of ownership of their mental health conditions than they would in a psychiatric setting which in turn promotes self-efficacy.
Moreover, the initiative has no intention to monetise since we are 100% voluntary. Collaborations with like-minded partners allow our services to be pro/low bono and accessible across Singapore. Since we do not earn a profit, most of the fees are related only to external costs or used to fund further programmes.
Last but not least, we are one of very mental health organisations in Singapore which have a bilingual and bicultural focus. This is reflected distinctively in the way we blend language and culture in what we do. This is crucial given that we are an essentially an Asian society whereas most mental health approaches focus on a Western Perspective and therefore lack sufficient cultural adaptation to the Singapore context. Languages often determine how we perceive and mentally construct the world around us, thereby influencing how positive or negative our mindsets can be and consequently affect our reactions to adverse situations. You don't necessarily have to be fluent or proficient in any particular language or culture to benefit from our approach. It can just be as simple as rediscovering your roots and making sense of your identity which may improve your resilience.
Our Mottoes
We Journey With You To Give Life A Second Chance
破茧重生
We have two mottoes in English and Chinese to reflect Singapore's bilingualism. Our commitment is to be a pillar of strength to you during times of distress so that you have the courage and strength to overcome life's adversities and have the opportunity to be reborn.
Our Missions
1. To destigmatise suicide by reducing involuntary psychiatric admissions in Singapore.
2. To provide dignified and effective suicide support for anyone in need.
The focus is on providing kindness to mentally vulnerable individuals who would otherwise fall
through the existing service gap in the local mental health services or experience discrimination due to
their mental health conditions. We follow the idea of “治病于初萌，防范于未然”. This means that we believe in managing a mental health condition in its early stages and to prevent a suicidal situation from arising in the first place. We emphasise the importance of early intervention and preventive measures so that destigmatisation as well as dignified and effective support can be achieved successfully.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be a model of effective suicide intervention in Asia. We aspire to be a catalyst for change in the way suicide support is provided in Singapore.
This is reflected in the way we work outside the system to create our own original methods, procedures and programmes. It is an intensive and time consuming process which is often required to bring about effective and long-lasting change. We also perform a thorough examination of existing suicide interventions and reject partial or complete plaigarisation of mental health programmes by unethical individuals. These often include self-claimed psychologists and advocates who profit from lived experience (real or imagined). Complicity is not something we tolerate.
We will continue to persevere and strive towards completing our reimagination of suicide support in Singapore and Asia.
This is what we stand for.
Always.
Our Values
Kindness, Responsibility and Safety.
We believe in being compassionate and empathetic to anyone who approaches us in times of need. Central to the value of kindness is our willingness to embrace authenticity and genuinity but we also expect the same from others. We reject any partners or collaborators who seek to plagiarise, modify or monetise our programmes. We try to be kind but unethical behaviour or exploitation from others will be condemned severely. We also expect mutual respect bewtween our volunteers and clients. We instill a sense of responsibility in our volunteers so that they take ownership of their behaviour and actions.
Last but not least, the safety of our volunteers and clients are of utmost importance to us. These include ensuring there is minimal compromise to psychological, emotional and physical safety.
Without safety, there is no safe space for all.
Our Executive Team
Don't work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition.
If you wonder why we haven't put a face to our team yet, it's because we do not ask for recognition. You will get to know us personally when you come into contact with our service. Please reserve your appreciation and gratitude to the frontline volunteers who made a difference to your lives. Our volunteers are some of the friendliest and kindest human beings in our little red dot. I can attest to that because I handpicked them personally.
Most of us are in the medical, psychology or counseling fields. However, we have come together to combine our expertise to help individuals in suicidal distress. It is not uncommon to come across a volunteer with lived experience of mental illness or suicide at The SAFE U Initiative because volunteering helps one to find meaning and purpose in life through sharing of experiences. We do our best to understand you and work together towards the goal of recovery through shared camaraderie.
Why can't our programmes be found anywhere else in Singapore?
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein
This is because we always create our programmes from scratch. We do not believe in copying and pasting what is already out there in the community. Everyone is different and the one-fits-all approach you see everywhere does not work well. We would like our volunteers and individuals to have a fulfiling and memorable experience which will enrich their lives. A positive transformation in perception is often the initial step towards change for the better. You can be assured that each programme epouses our kindness, ingenuity and the determination to inspire change in the way mental health care is provided in Singapore. We do it because you matter to us. Only here, only for you.
Why are we pro bono?
You only ever have to repay in kindness
We believe in making our services free for all as suicide care should be a basic human right. We also make our programmes available to other mental health organisations as we hope to increase the number of access points in the community. We can be pro bono because we are all volunteers with no vested financial interest in the project. We crowdfund through various means but it is not compulsory to donate or engage in these crowdfunding projects.
Any charges, if required, pertain to rental and miscellaneous fees for in-person services or costs associated with collaborative projects with partner organisations. The services remain free but external costs are unavoidable at the moment because there is a mismatch between donations received and the large number of people using our programmes. We can only sustain within our means so we ask for your kind understanding.
We are advocates of paying it forward. We treat you with kindness in the hope that you will consider doing the the same for others around you.
Kindness can't be bought with money, yet it is more valuable than anything in this world. We do not care about putting our faces out there, getting media coverage or personal accolades. However, you can count on us to go the extra mile when no one is willing to help you.
We are only concerned about true kindness. We absolutely don't give a damn about performative kindness.
To receive true kindness, please possess a kindred soul and treat every volunteer with respect. They are just as precious to us as you are. Please always remember that they have sacrificed their time and energy so that you never have to be alone on the path to recovery.
Partner/Collaborate With Us
We welcome partnerships and collaborations with any altruistic individual, social enterprise, non-profit organisation or business with an interest in mental health or suicide support. Our services and training workshops can be provided on demand subject to discussion.
If you would just like to chit chat with us, we are always happy to give our time as long as there is sincerity and mutual respect.
To ensure transparency, we wish to make clear that any attempt to monetise our programmes is strictly prohibited. We also have a zero tolerance policy on unethical, unsafe and dishonest behaviour. If you realise that you have been blocked, it likely means that, in addition to the above behaviours, you are also guilty of undesirable attributes such as trolling, harassment, broken promises or poor attitude.
You can be absolutely sure that we hold ourselves to these same high standards.
Volunteer With Us
If you are a student or graduate in Psychology and Counseling, we welcome you to join us as a skills-based volunteer. We are also happy to invite volunteers with lived experience of suicide or mental illness. Our core attribute requirements are only kindness and a sense of responsibility. Other positions are available. Please enquire by contacting us.
However, please note that we do not owe you an explanation for rejecting you. Not every person who approaches us is suitable for the work we do. We are extremely stringent even to those who joined and will not hesitate to block and expel them if they display poor attitude and/or peformance. Rejection has nothing to do with you personally so please do not resort to trolling or any abusive actions which may lead to legal consequences.
Thank you.
Donate To Us
If you wish to support our cause so that we can keep the services free, please donate on our GoGetFunding page:
Click Here to Donate Now
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