CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. The Nature and Scope of Suicide
2. Recognizing the Progressive Development of Suicide
3. Substance Abuse as a Major Contributor to Suicide
4. Suicide Across the Life Span
5. Special Populations and Suicide Risk
6. Prevention and Early Intervention for Suicide and Substance Abuse Problems

Supplements
References
Resources

Holding the Lifeline
A Guide to Suicide Prevention

State Prevention Plans

State governments are also playing an important role in suicide prevention by providing resources, training, and strategic planning. The National Governors Association notes that more than half of the states have developed suicide prevention plans. ref

Among the actions governors and state policymakers may take, and have taken, include:

• Increasing public awareness by declaring a state suicide awareness week, quantifying the state's suicide problem and developing policy responses to address it, and helping state agencies disseminate information.
• Creating state prevention plans that include public education, mental health evaluation and treatment, gatekeeper training programs, specialized curricula for out-of-school youth and those at-risk of becoming dropouts, and reduced access to lethal means of self-harm.
• Establishing school-based prevention programs to give schools a larger role in suicide prevention efforts.
• Dedicating resources to invest in building institutional capacity and developing a knowledge base within government around suicide and prevention.
• Stimulating multi-agency and multi-sector collaboration among key state agencies, such as education, health, human services, and public safety, and between government and community partners. ref