Suicide Prevention
The Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) is collaborating with other state and local agencies, organizations and individuals to save lives. Local suicide prevention coalitions have been formed in many counties, and a number of initiatives are currently underway to raise awareness, eliminate stigma, promote suicide prevention as a public health issue and increase help-seeking behavior.
Related Publications
State of Ohio Suicide Prevention Plan (2002)
ODMH established a partnership with the Ohio Coalition for Suicide Prevention to develop a strategic plan for suicide prevention in Ohio. The coalition is a grassroots organization of medical, mental health and public health professionals, faith-community members and advocates who are dedicated to preventing suicide by raising awareness and promoting well-being .
Surgeon General's Report on Suicide
On July 28, 1999, Tipper Gore and Surgeon General David Satcher hosted a press conference where he unveiled a blueprint to prevent suicide in the United States. The document, entitled The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, outlines more than a dozen steps that can be taken by individuals, communities, organizations and policymakers.
Ohio Suicide Prevention Links
Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
This foundation is a catalyst to eliminating the stigma attached to suicide, mental illness, substance abuse and addiction. Suicide is a major public health problem that kills 1,200 Ohioans each year, with an average of three deaths per day.
Red Flags - Depression Education
Red Flags is an Ohio school-based depression awareness and intervention program created by Mental Health America of Summit County. It is funded by ODMH and endorsed by the Ohio Department of Education for all Ohio school districts. The program helps students, parents and school staff members recognize and respond to signs of depression and related mental illness.
National Suicide Prevention Links
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
This not-for-profit organization is dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education. It also reaches out to people with mood disorders and those impacted by suicide.
American Association of Suicidology
This group promotes research, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. In addition, it serves as a national clearinghouse for information on suicide.
The Jason Foundation, Inc.
As a nationally recognized provider of educational curriculums and training programs for students, educators/youth workers and parents, this foundation's programs do the following: build an awareness of youth suicide; educate people in recognizing the warning signs or signs of concern and provide information on identifying at-risk behavior and elevated risk groups. It also directs people to local resources to deal with possible suicidal ideation. Student curriculums are presented in the third-person perspective (i.e. how to help a friend).
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
Representing the combined work of advocates, clinicians, researchers and survivors around the nation, this organization provides a framework for suicide prevention and guides development of services and programs. It is designed to be a catalyst for social change by transforming attitudes, policies and services.
Signs of Suicide (S.O.S.) Program
This two-day secondary school-based intervention program includes screening and education. Students are screened for depression and suicide risk and referred for professional help. Students also view a video that teaches them how to recognize signs of depression and suicide in others. They are taught that the appropriate response to these signs is to acknowledge them, let the person know you care and tell a responsible adult (either with the person or on that person's behalf). Students also participate in guided classroom discussions about suicide and depression. The intervention is designed to prevent suicide attempts, increase knowledge about suicide and depression, develop desirable attitudes toward suicide and depression and increase help-seeking behavior.
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
As one of the nation's first organizations dedicated to suicide prevention, SAVE was also a co-founding member of the National Council for Suicide Prevention. Its history and growth from an all-volunteer, small grassroots group of passionate survivors has become one of today's leading national not-for-profit organizations with staff dedicated to prevent suicide.
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Home to more than 490 web pages and 250 library resources on suicide prevention information, this site is also a portal to other valuable resources about suicide prevention. Visitors can find a range of information from suicide prevention and mental health news to strategic tools for developing suicide prevention programs.
TeenScreen® - Suicide Prevention Screening
TeenScreen asks teens to answer a short set of questions regarding different symptoms that occur in depressed or suicidal youth. This questionnaire is just the first stage of the screening process and is designed to find any youth that might have a problem.
Yellow Ribbon Program for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
Yellow Ribbon is a community-based program that uses a universal public health approach. It empowers and educates professionals, adults and youth.