Each year, there are 32,000 suicides in the United States—the equivalent of one every 16 minutes. As communities try to respond, more research and resources are emerging.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) at EDC has launched an online resource that offers information and training materials for developing effective suicide prevention programs. Called the Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention, this comprehensive source includes listings of prevention and treatment programs that have shown evidence of effectiveness; guidelines and protocols to follow while developing suicide prevention programs; and examples of programs, practices, policies, and materials—used in such settings as schools, communities, and clinics—that meet standards of feasibility, accuracy, and safety.
“There is no one-size-fits-all strategy to preventing suicide,” says EDC’s Linda Langford. “Once people have analyzed their specific needs and assets, this registry offers them information about programs to help meet those needs.”
One organization, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), had a suicide prevention curriculum that the SAVE staff thought was adequate but limited in its effectiveness. “We used the registry as a backdrop to see if we were on track. It was extremely valuable in terms of direction, suggestions, and resources,” says Dan Reidenberg, executive director of SAVE.
SPRC is also distributing the Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) card to guide mental health clinicians through five steps that address a patient’s level of suicide risk and to suggest appropriate interventions. SPRC has experienced a high demand for the SAFE-T card and is incorporating it into trainings for mental health clinicians conducted by SPRC’s training institute.
Originally published on July 25, 2008
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