Explaining Suicide to Children
November 1, 2021
“What should I tell the children?” A question often asked after the suicide of a loved one. The answer – the truth. Many people still believe it is best to
Zero Suicide Initiative
learn the signs & save lives
WORKING TOWARDS A ZERO SUICIDE WORLD
zero suicide initiative
Safe Communities coordinates a Zero Suicide partnership that includes all area health care systems as well as community organizations with a role to play in suicide prevention.
The initiative is modeled after Henry Ford Health Care System’s program, which demonstrated an 80% reduction in suicide among health care plan members.
Zero Suicide is a key concept of the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a priority of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), a project of Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), and supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Safe Communities is not a counseling or crisis center and does not provide direct services. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
ZERO SUICIDE INITIATIVE
the ZSI approach
OUR CORE CONCEPTS
- Suicide deaths for people under care are preventable.
- Treatment of depression alone will not effectively prevent suicidality.
- The bold goal of zero suicides among persons receiving care is one that health systems should embrace.
- The goal requires a system-wide approach involving the broader community.
- The approach is based on the realization that suicidal individuals often fall through multiple cracks in fragmented healthcare systems.
- Key areas of focus are means reduction, including eliminating suicide locations within communities.
HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT
- A Collaborative Safety Plan (formulated by the patient and provider) is completed with every patient experiencing suicidality.
- This Safety Plan discussion must include “means reduction” (how to eliminate access to guns and other methods of suicide).
- A “warm hand-off” is conducted, which means a follow-up appointment with an outpatient provider is made while the patient is still in the hospital or clinic.
- A follow-up phone call is made within 72 hours to patients discharged from the Emergency Room, an inpatient unit or a clinic visit with a Collaborative Safety Plan.
WOULD YOU RECOGNIZE SUICIDE RISK IF YOU SAW IT?
the work we've done
a Community wide Zero Suicide Team
Behavioral health leaders from UW Health, SSM Health, UnityPoint Health, Journey Mental Health, Group Health Cooperative, Stoughton Hospital and the William S. Middleton VA Hospital meet every 6 weeks – 2 months to collaborate on implementation of Zero Suicide. In addition, each system launched an internal work team to advance Zero Suicide within their organizations.
Exploring Overlap between Suicide and the Drug Overdose Epidemic
September 14, 2017 Safe Communities hosted a Zero Suicide Conference featuring a panel discussion to explore the overlap between addiction and suicide. Recent data suggests that people with substance use disorders are about six times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. One panel member shared her experience with childhood trauma, heroin addiction, suicide attempts and how she came to find recovery.
testimonials
Zero Suicide Collaborative Clinical Leaders and Organizational Partners
- Rachel Edwards, RN, Behavioral Health Nurse Manager, UW Health
- Meghan Henderson, LCSW, MSW Clinical Practice Leader for Behavioral Health, UnityPoint Health-Meriter
- Christina Mignon, RN, Nurse Manager, Behavioral Health, SSM Health St. Mary’s
- Hannah Flanagan, Director of Crisis Services, and Pete Zellar, Crisis Stabilization, Journey Mental Health Center
- Jake Austin, PsyD, Director of Behavioral Health in Primary Care, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin
- Kara McCaffrey, E-Learning and Suicide Prevention Team, Epic Systems
RESOURCES AND LINKS
Safe Communities is not a counseling or crisis center and does not provide direct services. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
RESOURCES
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