National Strategy

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the national hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). There are many warning signs of suicide. For more information, visit the American Association of Suicidology’s website. CDC is not a hospital or a treatment facility. CDC has no facilities for seeing patients and is thereby unable to diagnose illnesses, provide treatment, prescribe medications, or make referrals to specialists.

Suicide is a serious public health problem, so it follows that a national strategy for preventing it has been developed (2001). This strategy results from collaboration among several federal agencies (including CDC), coalitions, community-based organizations, practitioners, and other partners. As conceived, the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) requires a variety of organizations and individuals to become involved in suicide prevention. The NSSP emphasizes coordination of resources and the application of culturally appropriate services at all levels of government—federal, state, tribal and community—and in the private sector. The NSSP represents the first U.S. attempt to prevent suicide through such a coordinated approach. Information about NSSP is available from the Department of Health and Human Services website.

 
Additional Information

American Association of Suicidology (AAS)
4201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 408
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 237-2280
www.suicidology.org 
The goal of the AAS is to understand and prevent suicide. Founded in 1968, AAS promotes research, public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers. AAS serves as a national clearinghouse for information on suicide.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: (888) 333-2377
Phone: (212) 363-3500
www.afsp.org 
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to advancing knowledge of suicide and its preventable nature. The Foundation’s activities include: (1) supporting research projects that further the understanding and treatment of depression and the prevention of suicide; (2) providing information and education about depression and suicide; (3) promoting professional education for the recognition and treatment of depressed and suicidal individuals; (4) publicizing the magnitude of the problems of depression and suicide and the need for research, prevention, and treatment; and (5) supporting programs for suicide survivor treatment, research, and education.

Institute of Medicine
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 334-2352
www.iom.edu 
The Institute of Medicine released a report entitled Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative. The report contains four recommendations from The Committee on Pathophysiology and Prevention of Adolescent and Adult Suicide, which examined the state of the science base, gaps in knowledge, strategies for prevention, and research designs for studying suicide. The report reflects different perspectives and levels of analysis and states precisely what decision makers need to do to advance the science and improve health and social perspectives. This project was funded by the CDC, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Veterans Administration. The views expressed in this report are those of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Pathophysiology and Prevention of Adolescent and Adult Suicide and are not necessarily those of the funding agencies. To view or purchase the report, see the National Academy Press website.

National Center for Suicide Prevention Training
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458-1060
Phone: (617) 618-2418
www.ncspt.org/courses/orientation 
The National Center for Suicide Prevention Training currently has two Internet-based workshops. The first one, “Locating, Understanding, and Presenting Youth Suicide Data,” is available on an ongoing basis. The second workshop, "Planning and Evaluation for Youth Suicide Prevention," is being prepared for pilot testing. The Center’s website provides more information on training.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Phone: (301) 443-4513 or (866) 615-NIMH (6464)
www.nimh.nih.gov 
NIMH is one of 27 components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Federal government's principal biomedical and behavioral research agency. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. This public health mandate demands that NIMH harness powerful scientific tools to achieve better understanding, treatment, and eventually, prevention of these disabling conditions that affect millions of Americans. NIMH’s publication, In Harm’s Way: Suicide in America, is available from the NIMH website.

The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP)
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention 
The NSSP represents the combined work of advocates, clinicians, researchers, and survivors nationwide. NSSP lays out a framework for developing an array of suicide-prevention services and programs. NSSP is a catalyst for social change and has the power to transform attitudes, policies, and services. The NSSP Goals and Objectives for Action was published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (May 2001) and includes guidance from the surgeon general.

National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
PO Box 6003
Rockville, MD 20849-6003
Phone: (866) 723-3968
www.safeyouth.org 
Developed by CDC in partnership with 10 other federal partners, the Resource Center provides current information pertaining to youth violence that has been developed by federal agencies and the private sector. The NYVPRC is a gateway for professionals, parents, teens, and other interested individuals to obtain comprehensive information about youth violence—including suicide prevention and intervention.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
810 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531
Phone: (202) 307–5911
ojjdp.ncjrs.org
The OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP supports states and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and coordinated prevention and intervention programs. OJJDP also works to improve the juvenile justice system so that it protects public safety, holds offenders accountable, and provides treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families. Their publication, "Juvenile Suicides, 1991–1998" (NCJ 196978), draws on CDC-compiled data to examine trends and characteristics of more than 20,000 suicides committed by juveniles during that period. "Juvenile Suicides" is available from the OJJDP website. 

Reporting on Suicide: Recommendations for the Media
www.afsp.org/education/newrecommendations.htm
The media play a powerful role in educating multiple audiences about suicide prevention by informing readers and viewers about the likely causes of suicide, warning signs, trends in suicide rates, and recent advances in prevention. These recommendations will help guide the media in educating readers and viewers about the steps that can be taken to prevent suicide.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Room 12-105 Parklawn Building
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Phone: (301) 443-8956
www.samhsa.gov 
SAMHSA is the Federal agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE)
7317 Cahill Road, Suite 207
Minneapolis, MN 55439-2080
Phone: (952) 946-7998
www.save.org 
SAVE's mission is to educate about suicide prevention, eliminate stigma, and support those touched by suicide.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Education Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458-1060
Phone: (877) 438-7772
www.sprc.org 
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center supports suicide prevention by offering the best of science, skills, and practice. The Center provides technical assistance, training, and informational materials to strengthen suicide prevention networks and advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

The Suicide Prevention Action Network
1025 Vermont Avenue, NW
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 449-3600
www.spanusa.org 
The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA is a non-profit national organization that links the energy of those bereaved or touched by suicide with the expertise of leaders in science, health, business, government and public service to achieve the goal of significantly reducing the national rate of suicide by the year 2010.

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide
www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/default.htm 
This document introduces a blueprint for addressing suicide: Awareness, Intervention, and Methodology (AIM). This approach is derived from the collaborative deliberations of the 1st National Suicide Prevention Conference participants. As a framework for suicide prevention, AIM includes 15 key recommendations that were refined from consensus and evidence-based findings presented at the Reno conference.

Training Institute for Suicide Assessment and Clinical Interviewing
www.suicideassessment.com 
This website is designed specifically for mental health professionals, substance-abuse counselors, school counselors, primary-care physicians, and psychiatric nurses who are looking for information on the development of suicide prevention skills, crisis intervention skills, and advanced clinical interviewing skills.

World Health Organization (WHO)
World Report on Violence and Health
www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/wrvheng/en/
This report, produced by the WHO, is written mainly for researchers and practitioners. Its goals are to raise global awareness about the problems of violence and to make the case that violence is preventable and that public health systems have a crucial role to play in addressing its causes and consequences. The report includes a chapter specifically on self-directed violence (chapter 7).