Suicide Prevention PEI:5 · During 2015-2016, SP focused primarily on conducting community education through suicide prevention gatekeeper ... 2. Implement a community education and

Suicide Prevention PEI:5Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan (SCC-SPSP)

Suicide Prevention Initiative (SPI): Staffing

Suicide Prevention: Public Health Model

Mission:

To bring community awareness to the issue of suicide and to engage the community effort to stop it.

Suicide and Crisis Services (SACS) – 24/7 Crisis Hotline

The Santa Clara County Suicide & Crisis Hotline is a 24-hour, toll-free confidential suicide

prevention hotline available 7 days a week for phone intervention and emotional support by

highly trained volunteer Crisis Phone Counselors to help individuals who are experiencing:

different forms of crises

emotional or situational distress

a need for ongoing support

varying degrees of mental illness

a need for general information or referrals

Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan: Program Aims

During 2015-2016, SP focused primarily on conducting

community education through suicide prevention gatekeeper

trainings; increasing suicide prevention literacy among County

contracted staff as well as school professionals on suicide

intervention skills, and on reducing stigma associated with

mental illness through Mental Health First Aid classes and

speakers bureau panels.

The implementation approach has been designed with one

priority in mind: everyone plays a role in suicide prevention.

The five strategies of this broad community

effort are:

1. Implement and coordinate suicide intervention programs and services for high-risk populations.

2. Implement a community education and information campaign to increase public awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

3. Develop local communication “best practices” to improve media coverage and public dialogue related to suicide.

4. Implement a policy and governance advocacy initiative to promote systems change in suicide awareness and prevention.

5. Establish a robust data collection and monitoring system to increase the scope and availability of suicide-related data and evaluate suicide prevention efforts.

Data Analysis: Suicide Death

Reports from Medical Examiner

Coroner’s Office

6

7

8

9

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

20.0Suicide Rate per 100,000 by City 2009-2013

10

Santa Clara County Department of Behavioral Health Services, Suicide Prevention

18.9%

39.6%

2.4%

5.1%

34.5%

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0%

Unknown

No Note

Verbal Comments

Ph/Txt/Email/Video

Suicide Note

% Of Suicidal Communication 2009-2013

11

Santa Clara County Department of Behavioral Health Services, Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention Oversight Committee

(SPOC)

Workgroups:

Data Workgroup

Intervention Workgroup

Communications Workgroup

Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Education

Evelyn Tirumalai, MPHSuicide Prevention Coordinator

Phone: (408) 885-3982Mobile: (408) 401-6117

Evelyn.tirumalai@hhs.sccgov.org

www.sccmhd.org/sp

Pain isn’t always obvious. Learn the signs at ww.SuicideIsPreventable.org

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