Challenge
Suicide is a global issue, taking over 700,000 lives annually. More than 80% of people who die by suicide in the United States interact with health care services in the year before their death, often for nonpsychiatric reasons. There is an urgent need to create strong systems that build health care providers’ capacity to promote mental health and prevent suicide.
EDC provides leadership and support for Zero Suicide, a transformational framework for health and behavioral health care systems seeking to ensure safer suicide care. Its systematic approach to quality improvement and patient safety is built around seven elements of safer suicide care detailed in the free online Zero Suicide Toolkit. Launched by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and stewarded by EDC’s Zero Suicide Institute, Zero Suicide is a key concept of the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
Key Activities
EDC’s activities to advance Zero Suicide include the following:
- Developing and expanding the Zero Suicide Toolkit that supports health and behavioral health care leaders and leadership teams in implementing Zero Suicide
- Designing and providing a library of resources to support the implementation of Zero Suicide, including specific adaptations for Indian Country and children’s hospitals
- Publishing the Outcome Stories, which highlight a diverse array of health care settings that have adopted Zero Suicide
- Moderating a robust Listserv that shares resources and best practices with providers
- Offering safer suicide care training and consultation services through the Zero Suicide Institute
Impact
Systems that have used the Zero Suicide approach have seen 65%–80% reductions in suicide for those in their care.
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PROJECT DIRECTOR
