H79SM086117

Building Sustainable Infrastructure for Youth Suicide Prevention in Wisconsin - Mental Health America of Wisconsin, in collaboration with Wisconsin state agencies and statewide partners, will develop a sustainable infrastructure to support youth suicide prevention in Wisconsin among those aged 10-24.

The project aims to expand peer-based school suicide prevention resources, enhance training for educators and youth-serving organizations, increase the competency of clinical providers to support youth at-risk for suicide, and expand the capacity for local and tribal health departments to support navigation of resources for youth. The population to be served includes all youth residing in Wisconsin aged 10-24, which represents approximately 1,140,000 individuals.

Surveys collected by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction show that an estimated 50% of high school students live with anxiety, and rates of mental illness among Wisconsin populations are approximately 20%. The youth in Wisconsin targeted by this project are 83.7% white, 10.3% black, 11.1% Hispanic, 4.4% Asian, and 1.6% American Indian/Native American. Two-thirds of English learners speak Spanish, with Hmong as the second-most common language at 15%.

Suicide rates for the target population are highest among 18-24 year-olds. Rates of hospitalization and emergency department visits for self-injury are highest among 15-17 year-old females across all populations in Wisconsin. Rates of hospitalization resulting from self-injury for all males are highest among those aged 18-24. Native American youth have the highest rates of suicide death among 10-24 year-olds when viewing 5-year averages.

The project will follow three specific strategies to achieve successful outcomes and interventions within the target population. The first strategy will increase the capacity of Wisconsin's resources to provide access to suicide prevention, including screening for those at-risk. This will be accomplished through developing fact sheets to educate providers on trends and resources, expanding access to peer-based suicide support within school settings, and increasing the number of school staff receiving training in youth suicide prevention when entering the profession. At least 150 schools will expand their capacity to provide peer-based support by the end of the project.

The second strategy will increase the engagement of clinical service providers and local/tribal health departments (LTHDs) to implement evidence-based and promising practices related to suicide prevention. This will be accomplished through implementing Zero Suicide within youth-serving organizations (YSOs), expanding training opportunities for clinical providers, and engaging LTHDs in youth suicide prevention learning communities. At least 20 LTHDs will be engaged in learning communities annually, and 5 YSOs will participate in Zero Suicide training.

The third strategy will support a sustainable model of transition and navigation for youth at-risk for suicide. This will be accomplished by creating capacity for youth suicide prevention navigators at LTHDs, developing models to support students to transition back to school from treatment settings, and promoting and sharing modules for youth suicide prevention and postvention across partners.

Mental Health America Of Wisconsin

NOT APPLICABLE

93.243 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance

Division of Grants Management [HHS - SAMHSA]

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 532081834 United States

Single Zip Code

Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Grant Program (SM-22-003)

COVID-19 $2,903,352 (81%) percent of this Project Grant was funded by COVID-19 emergency acts including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 390% from $733,513 to $3,591,664.