Adoption of the Zero Suicide Model at JCMHC

Kansas Department of Health and Environment | National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | Kansas Zero Suicide a framework for health and bejavioral health care systems | Resources Crisis Text Line: Text KANSAS to 741-741 | Call: 1-800-273-8255 | suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Johnson County Mental Health Center was selected to receive a $50,097 grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to support the implementation of the Zero Suicide model.

The seven elements of safe and effective suicide care make up the Zero Suicide framework:

  1. Lead - Lead system-wide culture change.
  2. Train - Train a competent, confident and caring workforce.
  3. Identify - Identify individuals with suicide risk.
  4. Engage - Engage all individuals at risk of suicide
  5. Treat - Treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors directly using evidence-based treatments.
  6. Transition - Transition individuals through care.
  7. Improve - Improve policies and procedures through continuous quality improvement.  

The foundational belief of Zero Suicide is that suicide deaths for individuals under the care of health and behavioral health systems are preventable.

For systems dedicated to improving patient safety, Zero Suicide presents an aspirational challenge and practical framework for system-wide transformation toward safer suicide care.

Our Zero Suicide efforts will focus on training JCMHC staff, training partners, implementing policies and programs to facilitate linkage to care and lethal means reduction. Training will include:

  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST),
  • Question, Persuade, and Refer(QPR),
  • Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS),
  • Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM), and
  • Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR).