Suicide Prevention
Community Partners Preventing Suicide

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24. The agonizing grief, fear and confusion of this tragic loss of life is not limited the individual or even the immediate family. The impact extends throughout communities and across generations, and can increase the risk of suicide for those touched by the loss.

Community Partners Preventing Suicide approaches suicide prevention with a comprehensive public health approach. We are building capacity within systems and organizations that will support youth and young adults across Minnesota, with a focus on populations and communities that are at greater risk.

Toward zero deaths

Our goal is to decrease suicides by 10% in five years, 20% in 10 years, and ultimately working towards zero deaths among youth and young adults in five Minnesota regions selected based on need, capacity and readiness. We are placing focus on:

• Making suicide prevention a core component of behavioral health and health care systems so that the system provides complete, coordinated care and links to appropriate community services.
• Implementing effective programs where adults, peers and professionals learn to recognize youth who are at risk and connect them to the community’s coordinated care systems.
• Supporting healthy and empowered individuals, families and communities.

Suicide is preventable

Suicide is rarely random or inevitable. There is not one single path that leads to suicide. Suicide death is complicated and is often the result of a combination of factors experienced across a lifetime like childhood trauma, serious mental illness, substance abuse, painful loss, exposure to violence, social isolation and loneliness, and easy access to lethal means.

Suicide is preventable. We can decrease the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors by increasing access to quality behavioral healthcare, building meaningful relationships, practicing safe suicide reporting and messaging, developing coping skills and creating safe and supportive communities.

Minnesota regions

Community Partners Preventing Suicide is actively working throughout five regions of the state.

• Northwestern Region (Kittson, Marshall, Mahnomen, Norman, Pennington, Polk, and Red Lake Counties)
  Contact: Stephanie Downey at Stephanie.Downey@state.mn.us.
• Brainerd Region (Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wedena Counties)
  Contact: Stephanie Downey at Stephanie.Downey@state.mn.us.
• Gichiziibi-Great River Region (Becker, Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Itasca)
  Contact: Stephanie Downey at  Stephanie.Downey@state.mn.us
• Hennepin County
  Contact: Melissa Dau at Melissa.Dau@state.mn.us.
• Southwestern Region (Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine Counties)
  Contact: Melissa Dau at Melissa.Dau@state.mn.us.
• Red Lake, Leech Lake, White Earth, Lower Sioux, Upper Sioux, Little Earth and U.S Indian Health Services
  Contact: Luther Talks at Luther.Talks@state.mn.us.

Individuals, youth-serving organizations, schools and tribal and local communities interested in learning more about what is going in your area can contact the regional coordinators.

Behavioral/healthcare agencies and providers interested in learning more about Zero Suicide and trainings can contact the project director Tanya Carter at Tanya.Carter@state.mn.us.

Additional resources

Crisis resources

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255) – The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
• State Mobile Crisis Services – Every county in Minnesota provides Mobile Crisis Services for both children and adults that may be experiencing suicidal feelings or mental health crisis. Crisis services are available within each county 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. County crisis teams are available for phone support as well as face-to-face crisis help.
• Crisis Text Line - Text MN to 74174. The Crisis Text Line provides free crisis support 24/7 for any crisis.
• Fast Tracker Mental Health and Substance Abuse Directory – Fast-Tracker is an online community and health care directory. Individuals and families can search the directory to find mental health and substance abuse resources including available openings for access to services.

Minnesota

• MDH State Suicide Prevention Program and State Plan – released in September 2015,the State Plan's goal is to reduce suicide in Minnesota by 10% in five years, 20% in ten years, ultimately working toward zero deaths.
• Minnesota Hospital Association – works with member hospitals and health systems to find collaborative solutions through health care policy and advocacy that help provide quality care for patients and meet the needs of communities.
• St. Cloud State University – collaborates with MDH to provide technical assistance to colleges and universities in program regions to implement the Jed-Clinton Campus Project.
• Trainings offered through the Minnesota Department of Health's Community Partners Preventing Suicide.

National

• Zero Suicide – Zero Suicide is a commitment to suicide prevention in health and behavioral health care systems and is also a specific set of strategies and tools.
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center – the nation’s only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
• CALM: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means – This free online course is designed for providers who counsel people at risk for suicide, including mental health and medical providers.
• Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center – The Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center aims to provide communities, clinicians, policy-makers and others in the field with the information and tools they need to incorporate evidence-based practices into their communities or clinical settings.