Sample Staff/Colleague Email
Trigger warning: suicide
Dear colleagues,
I would like to draw your attention to the next steps in our commitment to be a Suicide Safer organisation and to talk more openly about mental health and suicide prevention.
Launch of new browser extension
On [date], we will be launching the Ripple (R;pple) browser extension on all of our corporate laptop and desktop machines. R;pple will ensure more help and support is provided to our staff members who may find themselves searching for harmful content online.
What is R;pple?
R;pple is a browser extension that interrupts harmful online searches relating to self-harm and suicide and instead signposts to a message of hope together with a selection of mental health support services available to access both now and in the longer term. R;pple was set up by Alice Hendy following the tragic loss of her brother, Josh, to suicide. More information on R;pple is available on the Ripple Suicide Prevention website.
Does R;pple track or monitor what what we're doing?
No data or personally identifiable information is captured by the browser extension, and R;pple is not able to determine any organisational or individual identifiable data from the metrics that are collected.
Support at home
R;pple is free for all staff to download at home to safeguard their family members. Downloading R;pple takes just 60 seconds. Instructions on how to download R;pple in your family home are found here.
Support signposting
If you have been affected by suicide, you are not alone. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, talk to someone, let them know what is going on and ask for help.
- In an emergency – call 999
- [Organisation] support– [details]
- SHOUT / CALM / Hub Of Hope / Samaritans / National Suicide Alliance / Cruse
Further Information
If a user searches for harmful content online, they will be:
- Provided with guided breathing exercises.
- Presented with reassuring messages.
- Given immediate access to help lines and mental health services to use now and in the longer term.
The Impact
- Downloads - To date, R;pple has been downloaded close to 2 million times.
- Interceptions - R;pple has intercepted over 50,000 genuine harmful online searches.
- Lives Saved - Although we do not collect any personally identifiable information, 31 individuals have approached us to inform us that R;pple has saved their life.
- R;pple has won 32 awards in the mental health and innovation space.