ALCOAST 262/26 - AUG 2026 SUICIDE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN 2026 "MISSION READY: RESILIENT AND CONNECTED"

R 261904Z AUG 26  MID120041471003U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 262/26
SSIC 1734
SUBJ: SUICIDE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN 2026 "MISSION READY: RESILIENT
AND CONNECTED"
1. September marks Suicide Prevention Month and begins a reset for
12-months of Coast Guard activities designed to reinforce the vital
role of connection, compassion, and continuous engagement in
proactively building individual and team resilience, in turn
preventing suicide. This year's theme is "Mission Ready: Resilient
and Connected."
2. Recommitment. We recommit annually in September to protect
the health, readiness, and dignity of every Coast Guard member,
military and civilian alike. This commitment for Workforce
Resilience and Connection is a year-round mission.
    a. The Coast Guard's commitment to the workforce is an enduring
readiness priority. We are sustaining our efforts by embedding
prevention, connectedness, and resilience into everyday operations,
professional development, leadership expectations, and command
climate across the Service.
    b. Suicide Prevention Month provides an opportunity to advance
efforts that strengthen protective factors, expand prevention
capabilities, reinforce a culture where seeking help is a sign of
strength, fortifies connectedness and empower personnel at all
levels to act.
    c. The year-long campaign is designed to align commanders,
supervisors, chaplains, clinicians, EAPS/Cs, Ombudsmen, RCs,
Integrated Primary Prevention personnel, and peers into a
coordinated prevention effort.
3. Unit Command Role.
    a. Command leaders are responsible for fostering a climate of
connection, help-seeking, and early intervention.
    b. Employee Assistance Program Specialists and Coordinators
(EAPS/Cs),Resilience Coordinators (RCs), Chaplains, and other
appropriate helping professionals will assist commands in planning
and executing Suicide Prevention Month activities, using the
resources and guidance available to them through the Coast Guard
Suicide Prevention Program.
    c. Commands should continue this partnership throughout the
year to sustain prevention and connectedness efforts.
    d. This ALCOAST outlines activities designed to help units and
commands promote awareness, build connections, and create
sustainable change. The resources mentioned below can be downloaded
from the Suicide Prevention Website at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser.)

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-
for-Human-Resources-CG-1/Health-Safety-and-Work-Life-CG-11/Offic
e-of-Work-Life-CG-111/Suicide-Prevention-Program/

4. Themes and Recommended Activities. For the campaign theme of
Mission Ready: Resilient and Connected, the following activities
are suggested by week.
    a. WEEK 1 (01 to 06 SEP): Suicide Prevention is Readiness.
        (1) Commands are encouraged to issue personal statements or
video (shorts) affirming their commitment to suicide prevention.
        (2) Distribute Mission Resilience Cards: quick handouts
designed to create recurring leader-to-member conversations that
normalize discussions about resilience, stress management,
help-seeking, and mission readiness.
        (3) Distribute Suicide Prevention Month materials
(posters, ribbons, banners). Promote access to key resources:
Military One Source, Chaplains, Regional Behavioral Health
Providers, "988" Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
        (4) Commands are encouraged to expand participation in ASIST
and other approved suicide prevention and intervention training
opportunities, with the goal of substantively increasing the
number of trained personnel across the Coast Guard.
    b. WEEK 2 (07 to 13 SEP): Every Shipmate Matters.
        (1) Conduct a suicide prevention stand-down using available
resources and discussion guides from the Coast Guard Suicide
Prevention Program. Commands should tailor the stand-down to local
needs and operational schedules, with support from EAPCs, RCs,
Chaplains, and other appropriate helping professionals.
        (2) Begin Coffee/Tea/Soda with A Shipmate Challenge: Guided
intentional peer relationship building to strengthen interpersonal
connection before someone reaches a crisis (Command hosted,
set time aside, etc.).
        (3) Download the DHS Columbia Protocol APP (IOS/Android)
and offer enhanced unit-level briefings on warning signs, risk
factors, and referral processes.
        (4) Host discussions led by the CPO Mess and/or Officer
Wardroom on supporting shipmates in distress.
        (5) Engage embedded mental health staff, Chaplains, RCs,
EAPCs, or other appropriate healing professionals to support local
programming and reinforce available services, confidentiality, and
pathways to care.
    c. WEEK 3 (14 to 20 SEP): Connection Protects.
        (1) Begin Bridge the Distance Campaign: Strengthen
connectedness among deployed members, their families, and their
communities.
        (2) Organize deliberate, command sponsored
connectedness-events (group hikes, yoga, team sports, e-sports).
        (3) Establish informal peer buddy systems to promote regular
check-ins.
        (4) Include isolated personnel (watchstanders, duty crews) in
command outreach efforts.
    d. WEEK 4 (21 to 27 SEP): Asking for help is a Sign of Strength.
        (1) Set up the Virtual "Walls of Hope/Never Forgotten"
(physical or digital) for anonymous support messages and
motivational quotes.
        (2) Involve ombudsmen and family resource specialists to
extend outreach to family members.
        (3) Attend Microsoft Teams Presentation of the Postvention
Toolkit on September 24, at 1100 EST.
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser.)

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-
for-Human-Resources-CG-1/Health-Safety-and-Work-Life-CG-11/Offic
e-of-Work-Life-CG-111/Suicide-Prevention-Program/

    e. WEEK 5 (28 to 30 SEP and Beyond): Sustain Mission-Ready
Connectedness.
        (1) Continue regular command-supported connectedness and
suicide prevention activities throughout the year.
        (2) Continue partnering with EAPCs, RCs, Chaplains, behavioral
health professionals, and other appropriate helping resources to
identify local needs, plan activities, and connect members to
support.
        (3) Use the Coast Guard Suicide Prevention Program resources,
recommendations, and implementation guidance to sustain local
prevention efforts.
5. Measuring Impacts. Commands should track participation, identify
effective practices and implementation barriers, gather participant
feedback where appropriate, and submit After Action Reports (AAR) to
by 15 OCT 2026 to the Office of Wellness (WFS-1).
    a. Feedback will inform future suicide prevention programming and
year-round implementation support.
    b. AAR templates will be provided separately via the suicide
prevention website:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser.)

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-
for-Human-Resources-CG-1/Health-Safety-and-Work-Life-CG-11/Offic
e-of-Work-Life-CG-111/Suicide-Prevention-Program/

6. POC. CDR LaMar Henderson, Commandant (WFS-1) Suicide Prevention
Program Manager at: LaMar.B.Henderson@uscg.mil.
7. Blanca A. Sanchez, SES, Assistant Commandant for Workforce and
Family Service (CG-WFS), sends.
8. Internet release is authorized.