Healthcare
There are many opportunities for healthcare settings to play a role in preventing suicide. Zero Suicide is a systems-wide framework to prevent suicide in health and behavioral health systems. The Zero Suicide model includes a commitment from leadership to implement best practices in training, interventions, and follow-up designed to improve patient safety and reduce suicides.
Through ND HOPES, we are engaging health and behavioral health care providers to implement Zero Suicide across various settings, including but not limited to primary care, emergency departments, critical access hospitals, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, substance use disorder treatment, school-based health centers, and more.
The core elements of the Zero Suicide framework include:
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Lead - Lead system-wide culture change committed to reducing suicides.
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Train - Train a competent, confident, and caring workforce.
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Identify - Identify individuals with suicide risk via comprehensive screening and assessment.
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Engage - Engage all individuals at-risk of suicide using a suicide care management plan.
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Treat - Treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors directly using evidence-based treatments.
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Transition - Transition individuals through care with warm hand-offs and supportive contacts.
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Improve - Improve policies and procedures through continuous quality improvement.
Another important component of suicide care in health settings is the incorporation of substance use screening, intervention, and referral. Substance use is a leading risk factor for suicide. The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment-Suicide Care (SBIRT-SC) model is an integrated, public health approach that identifies and provides care to individuals using substances and/or who are at risk of suicide. SBIRT-SC and Zero Suicide implementation work hand in hand to provide the highest level of treatment and support.
If your organization is interested in these initiatives, please reach out to info@ndhopes.com.
Resource Spotlight
Zero Suicide Toolkit