Statewide suicide initiatives and plans

The original National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001) called for the development of comprehensive state suicide prevention plans that would guide and coordinate suicide prevention activity across public and private agencies and organizations.  Since then, all U.S. states have developed a suicide prevention plan, and many have formed distinct suicide prevention offices or public-private partnerships to advance those plans.

In order to be effective, statewide suicide prevention plans must address suicide prevention among a wide variety of vulnerable populations. There must be ongoing funding available from the state or other sources to make prevention activities and programming possible. Collaboration and coordination among state and local agencies and organizations is critical to developing a comprehensive and effective statewide approach to suicide prevention.

The National Strategy was revised in 2012, which prompted many states to undertake their own revisions to ensure their plans reflected the latest advances in suicide prevention knowledge, research, and practice.

AFSP encourages active chapter participation in the development and implementation of state suicide prevention initiatives and plans. We advocate for state initiatives and plans that:

• Address suicide prevention across the lifespan
• Encourage active and full implementation by public and private partners across the state
• Are funded and sustainable
• Collect data, evaluate progress, and make revisions as necessary

• Visit the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) to view your state’s current suicide prevention plan and contact information for your state’s suicide prevention coordinator and/or coalition(s)
• Access SPRC’s State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure Recommendations, published August 2019
• Download AFSP’s supplemental resource, Using the SPRC State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure Recommendations, for guidance on bringing the recommendations to the attention of state lawmakers and other decision-makers
• View the updated National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSSP, released 2012)