Welcome!

Welcome to the first 2019 Office of Suicide Prevention newsletter! As our office continues to grow, we wanted to create a better communication channel to highlight new resources, community-level work, funding opportunities, and upcoming events. We hope you will find this a valuable resource to keep you plugged in to Suicide Prevention in Colorado!

Thank Goodness for Sam Taylor!

As the Regional Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator at Jefferson Center, Sam Taylor works to increase awareness of suicide risk and mental health in youth and young adults. Sam works with universities, schools, community organizations and other partners to support and expand unique mental health awareness and suicide prevention initiatives. Sam promotes awareness through providing community suicide prevention trainings, having trained over 300 gatekeepers in the past four months, offering leadership and guidance as the facilitator of the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Jefferson, Gilpin, and Clear Creek counties, serving on the Jefferson Center Zero Suicide Core Implementation Team, and participating in the Suicide Prevention Commission workgroups. Sam is aiming to educate her community on the risk factors and warning signs of youth suicide, and share resources for critical mental health intervention and treatment. Through this education, outreach, and collaborative action, Sam is increasing awareness, starting conversation and preparing her community members to save lives.

Thank you for everything you do Sam!

The OSP is pleased to offer our next Zero Suicide Academy for Colorado healthcare organizations on April 3-4, 2019. Apply here for the opportunity to send a team of 4 from your organization to the Academy to learn the ins and outs of implementation of this critical initiative. Contact Emily Fine with questions.

Clinical Training: The OSP will provide CAMS (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality) training for select mental health and behavioral health providers in 2019. To be considered for CAMS trainings sponsored by the Office of Suicide Prevention in 2019, please sign up here. Please email Lena Heilmann with any questions.

For more on the history of CAMS, consider watching this free webinar: The Heart of a Suicide Intervention, The Research and Story of CAMS, featuring Dr. David Jobes, presented by United Survivors of Suicide International.

The OSP also has materials for MHFA, SafeTALK, and QPR available for organizations needing financial assistance to provide community trainings. Click the links to request material assistance while supplies last! (there is also funding to support Mental Health First Aid Trainings in Colorado - more information here).

Legislative Tracker: 2019 is sure to bring a busy legislative session. Stay up to date on the latest proposed bills by visiting the tracker on the VIPrevention website!

The internet can be a scary place. LGBTQ+ Guide to Online Safety

What’s in a name? Everything. Calling transgender youth by their name dramatically reduces their chance of suicide. Read the full research article.


 

Messaging Matters! Download the New Suicide Reporting Recommendations Toolkit and read the Press Release
 

The Joint Commission has issued new National Patient Safety Goal requirements to improve the quality and safety of suicide care in health care settings. It has also released a selection of resources to support their implementation, which includes the Zero Suicide Toolkit and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s (Action Alliance) recommended standard care report. The new requirements will be effective July 1, 2019 and will apply to all Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and behavioral health care organizations.
 

New Pathways for Implementing Universal Suicide Risk Screening in Healthcare Settings

"A new report, authored in part by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, provides guidance on how to implement universal suicide risk screening of youth in medical settings. The report describes a way for hospitals to address the rising suicide rate in a way that is flexible and mindful of limited resources." Read the full Article.

Creating Space for Faith and Mental Health

My Quiet Cave is a non-profit mental health organization committed to filling the gap that exists between the church and the world of mental health. Check out their programs and mental health and wellness resources for organizations, individuals and faith leaders, including the free Mental Health Manual.

MCH Bullying & Youth Suicide Prevention: Colorado

Although not causal, bullying and suicide share protective factors, such as school connectedness, community connectedness, and economic stability. In order to support bullying and suicide prevention efforts across the state, the Colorado Asset Profile tool was developed to identify community data, strengths, funding streams, partnerships, and upstream strategies to leverage and align community initiatives in order to prevent bullying and youth suicide. This prevention effort is funded through the federal Maternal and Child Health (MCH) grant, which provides money for local public health agencies to do prevention work on a variety of outcomes, including bullying and youth suicide. To learn more about MCH work or how to utilize the tool, email:  kirstin.hoagland@state.co.us.