SPEAK's New Video

SPEAK 2009 Video

SPEAK on Broadcast Radio

Press Release from Governor Martin O'Malley

Former Governor
Robert Ehrlich

The Maryland Youth
Crisis Hotline
1-800-422-0009

National Suicide
Support Groups


The National Suicide Hotlines

Maryland Suicide Prevention Commission

SPEAK on Facebook




Bev Cobain/Jean Larch 'Dying To Be Free'





Linda Goldman
'Coming Out,
Coming In'






Goldman's Great Answers to Difficult Questions about Sex





Nancy Rappaport
'In Her Wake'



SPEAK Would Like To Welcome You To Our Website


Every 1 hour and 53 minutes in the U.S. we lose another young person by suicide.
That's a Columbine a day.

For every completed suicide by youth, approximately 100 to 200 attempts are made.

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds.

For every 2 homicides their are 3 suicides in the U.S.

Children as young as 5 have died by suicide.




The beautiful faces above are of those who died of suicide.
They wanted their pain to end, not their lives.
They entered a dark tunnel, unfortunately, not seeing the light at the end.


In 1999, the lives of four women, Lisa Hurka Covington, Lee Tolzman, Betty Schmedes, and Marie McLaughlin, were brought together at a meeting they never expected to or wanted to attend; a support group of survivors in the Baltimore, Maryland area who lost a loved one to suicide. Under the leadership of Lisa Hurka Covington, they organized the advocacy group, SPEAK (Suicide Prevention Education Awareness for Kids).

SPEAK is an independent organization in the state of Maryland, moving forward with our mission
to promote the prevention of youth suicide and working to dispel the social stigma surrounding
suicide and depression through a campaign of education and awareness at the community level.


SPEAK is the leader of suicide prevention in Maryland

Our accomplishments include the following:


We will continue to make major strides in the area of suicide prevention in
Maryland and the rest of the Nation.


Welcome, Visitor!