Tennessee’s TARGET Zero Suicide: Technology Assisted Recovery, Growth, Empowerment, and Treatment (NSSP)

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) proposes Tennessee TARGET Zero Suicide (TARGET) to reduce suicide attempts/deaths among working-age adults ages 25-64 by developing and implementing cross-system suicide prevention strategies, including rapid and enhanced follow-up for 2,250 unduplicated adults (Yr 1: 1,000; Yrs 2-3: 1,250/yr) and prevention training for 570 providers and stakeholders.

TDMHSAS will develop partnerships with emergency departments and inpatient psychiatric units to refer at-risk adults to TARGET for follow-up care following discharge for a non-fatal suicide attempt or suicide crisis. Centerstone of Tennessee will provide telephone and/or face-to-face follow-up within 24 hours, weekly for the first month, and at 3/6/9/12 months. Follow-up will include risk assessment, development of a crisis management plan with the participant, means reduction counseling, and referrals/linkages to treatment services utilizing best practices Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Counseling on Access to Lethal Means, and evidence-based Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network will provide suicide prevention trainings for clinical providers (e.g., primary, behavioral, emergency, VA) and adult-serving systems (e.g., corrections, workforce development, human services, military). TARGET will also work to implement a Zero Suicides framework across state departments and health, behavioral health, workplace, military, justice, etc., settings. Outcomes will include reduction in suicide attempts by 30% and suicide deaths by 10%. An existing Advisory Council, comprising suicide attempt/loss survivors and other stakeholders, will support TARGET’s goals/objectives: (1) improve care transition/ coordination of at-risk adults post discharge, (2) increase the number of providers and stakeholders trained in adult suicide prevention, assessment, and treatment, (3) increase risk identification, referral, and behavioral health services utilization, and (4) implement Goals 8 and 9 of the 2012 National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Evaluation will be conducted by staff experienced in suicide prevention, and all required reports on outcomes and infrastructure development will be met.