The Surgeon General’s Call to Action seeks to advance progress toward full implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The Call to Action emphasizes that the 13 goals and 60 objectives of the National Strategy remain as relevant today as they were when the strategy was last updated, and that these goals and objectives need to be fully implemented to make a difference in reducing suicide rates. In particular, the Call to Action zeroes in on six key actions that must be implemented to reverse the current upward trend in suicide deaths in the United States.

This tool provides a series of questions to guide the cultural adaptation of gatekeeper training programs and so improve the community ownership, utilization, and effectiveness of the training. Questions in the areas of training delivery, shared group considerations, and follow-up and referral network are included.

This tool provides information on gatekeeper trainings. It contains questions and lists of factors to consider that can help users through preparing for, selecting, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining gatekeeper trainings.

Implementation Essentials

This report, designed to build on the Action Alliance’s Recommended Standard Care for People with Suicide Risk and The Way Forward: Pathways to Hope, Recovery, and Wellness with Insights from Lived Experience, presents feasible, evidence-based practices that health systems and providers can take to improve patient engagement and safety during the transition from inpatient to outpatient care.

For more information about the report, including a complementary video and handout, or to learn more about the Action Alliance’s care transitions efforts, visit SuicideCareTransitions.org.

The Joint Commission realized that suicide rates have not improved over the past decade and has issued updated requirements in order to improve the quality and safety of care for those who are being treated for behavioral health conditions and those who are identified as high risk for suicide. The requirements include screening and assessment guidelines, environmental assessment, follow-up care and safety planning. The Commission indicates specific tools and resources to meet the requirements. This guidance represents an update to the National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) 15.01.01. It supersedes all prior updates.

This resource provides the first-ever recommendations for a strong state infrastructure to support effective, comprehensive, and sustained suicide prevention. Developed with an advisory panel of experts and stakeholders, it is designed to help state policy leaders assess the status of their current infrastructure and guide policymaking, funding, and administrative decisions accordingly. These guidelines may also be useful to others who support suicide prevention at the federal, state, and local level, including funders, suicide prevention coordinators, coalitions, community organizations, advocates, and researchers.

To stay updated on new tools and content that will be added in the coming months, sign up for SPRC’s new State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure mailing list.

This resource provides the first-ever national recommendations for depicting suicide in entertainment content. Studies have found that the way the media covers suicide can influence behavior negatively, by contributing to increased suicidal behavior among viewers, or positively, by encouraging help-seeking and recovery. These recommendations aim to help members of the entertainment industry—content creators, scriptwriters, producers—tell more balanced and authentic stories involving suicide that promote hope and healing. Representatives from the entertainment industry and the suicide prevention field provided input on the recommendations, which advance goal four of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.