Resources

The Florida Statewide Suicide Prevention Resource Directory

Maintained by the Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention, lists crisis centers, support groups, and suicide prevention organizations and programs by region.
Download PDF

Coalition Building

Resources to help create, maintain, and manage a coalition to help your suicide prevention project function more efficiently. Link

Elderly

National Alliance on Mental Illness The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides information about depression in older persons. Link

Lists the causes and signs of depression in older persons and how to help. Link

Information about depression in seniors from the National Institute of Health Link

Senior Suicide: Understanding the Risk, Preventing the Tragedy, a brochure from SPAN Link

Elderly suicide fact sheet from the American Association of Suicidology Link

Elderly suicide fact sheet from the National Institute of Mental Health Link

Evaluation

Why evaluation is important and how to plan for and conduct an evaluation. Link

Presents the benefits and myths about evaluation. Link

Community Tool Box — Introduction to Evaluation. (See also Chapters 37 — 39; Evaluating Community Programs and Initiatives) contains guidelines for conducting evaluations. Link

Resources for Researchers and Program Evaluators (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) Link

Evidence-Based & Best Practice

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center Best Practices Registry (BPR) for suicide prevention, a collaboration between the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Link

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), a service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) [a searchable database of interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders] can be found at A number of programs are listed in the resource that can impact risk and protective factors related to suicide (e.g., alcohol, school violence). Link

Faith-Based

Meeting Summary and Recommendations Clergy Workgroup on Suicide Prevention and Aftercare, September 28 and 29, 2005 Sponsored by: The Link’s National Resource Center for Suicide Prevention and Aftercare and Suicide Prevention Resource. Link

Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Resource Scan of Faith-based Materials Addressing Suicide Prevention Link

Gatekeeper Training

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer -- Three simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Link

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a standardized, customizable 2-day, 2-trainer workshop designed for members of all caregiving groups. Link

Grants

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Research Grants. Link

Community Tool Box: Getting Grants and Financial Resources. Link

Hotlines & Florida State Agencies

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. Link

Created by the Florida Alliance of Information & Referral Services (FLAIRS) 2-1-1, this site contains a list of 2-1-1 helplines in Florida. Link

Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition: Florida state organizations and resources Link

Legislation

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: National Legislative Initiatives. Link

Bills pending in the Florida House of Representatives. Link

Bills pending in the Florida Senate. Link

Logic Model

Moving Ideas Into Action: Logic Models for Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program Link

Guide to creating logic models. Contains samples. Link

How-to on building your own logic model. Link

Community Tool Box: Developing a Logic Model or Theory of Change. Link

Florida Substance Abuse Response Guide: Developing an Initial Local Logic Model Link

Media

Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN): Media Guidelines. Link

The Role of the Media in Preventing Suicide and Resources for Media personnel Link

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Reporting on Suicide: Recommendations for the Media. Link

American Association of Suicidology: Media Guidelines Link

SAMHSA’s anti-stigma ad campaigns. Link

Guide for staging a suicide awareness event Link

Planning

Community Tool Box: Developing a Strategic Plan. Link

Community Tool Box: Developing an Action Plan. Link

Strategic Prevention Framework's 5-step process strengthens planning so that resources are targeted where there is the greatest need and in a manner that tracks progress and measures outcomes. Link

Risk & Protective Factors

Suicide warning signs from the American Association of Suicidology. Link

Risk and protective factors from the United States Department of Health and Human Services: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Link

Under the heading: Communities That Care Community Planning System, download Communities That Care Prevention Strategies Guide (PDF 13.93 MB). Link

Youth suicide risk factors from the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. Link

Suicide warning signs from the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition. Link

School-Based

The Youth Suicide Prevention School-Based Guide is a tool that provides a framework for schools to assess their existing or proposed suicide prevention efforts (through a series of checklists) and provides resources and information that school administrators can use to enhance or add to their existing program Link

Solutions Unlimited Now (SUN) is a life skills group program enhancing the problem-solving ability of teens and college students. Sun is provided to schools and community organizations for a fee. Scholarships are available. Contact Jackie Rosen at (954) 384-1384 for information.

The Well Aware Program of the Florida Department of Education for Florida school leaders was developed to better inform education policymakers of the link between mental health and academics. This site contains Well Aware policy bulletins for Florida school leaders.Link

The free, interactive series Making Educators Partners in Suicide Prevention provides two hours of professional development credit to New Jersey educators but is open to anyone who is interested in reviewing current strategies for youth suicde prevention in schools. Link

Screening

The Columbia University TeenScreen Program is a national mental health and suicide risk screening program dedicated to helping parents find teens with the known risk factors for suicide by making voluntary mental health check-ups available to all American families. Link

Signs of Suicide: A 2-day secondary school-based intervention that includes screening and education. Link

Officials at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf are developing a six-hour “groundbreaking program” designed to teach mental health counselors, teachers, and parents how to recognize and assist deaf people who are contemplating suicide. The course development is supported by federal funding and will be promoted to other deaf schools around the country through Screening for Mental Health, Inc. Contact the school for details. Link

Sexual Minorities

Parents. Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is a national support, education and advocacy organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered (GLBT) people, their families, friends and allies. Link

The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth who face many social factors that put them at higher risk for self-destructive behaviors, including suicide. Link

Statistics

The ACHA-National College Health Assessment (NCHA) is a nationally recognized research survey that covers students' health habits, behaviors, and perceptions. Surveys are conducted in the fall and spring of each year. Link

Obtain government census data for a city, town, county, zip, state, or nation. Link

WISQARS™ (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) created by the Center for Disease Control is an interactive database system that provides customized reports of injury-related data. Link

The Suicide Prevention Resource Centers library contains information links to data and statistics on morbidity and motality data relating to suicide. Link

Obtain suicide statistics by state. Link

Find mortality data by state or county, by underlying cause of death. Link

The National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease control is the nation’s principal health statistics agency. Link

Presents data from the Center for Disease Control’s 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System as printed in Table III of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) each week. Link

The Center for Disease Control’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) collects existing data from death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, police reports, and crime laboratories. In addition, NVDRS collects detailed information on the mechanism of injury and circumstances of the death. Link

The Centers for Disease Control presents a national suicide data fact sheet. Link

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a school-based survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control. Link

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984. Link

Florida Vital Statistics Annual Report contains statistics on deaths by suicide in the state. Link

Obtain death by suicide statistical reports by county, race, Hispanic/non-hispanic, and year of death. Link

Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition: Florida suicide statistics. Link

The Florida Department of Health provides data on fatal injuries and non-fatal injury hospitalization (ER and inpatient) by cause for the state and each county.Link

Stigma

SAMHSA's Resource Center to Address Discrimination & Stigma Associated with Mental Illness (ADS Center). Link

Strategy — Florida & National

The Florida Suicide Prevention Strategy offers a comprehensive framework for what needs to be done in order to decrease the suicide rate in the state. It serves as both a guide and an action agenda for preventing suicide in Florida. Its purpose is to have a lasting impact in bringing suicide to the forefront as a public issue, and over time to save thousands of lives that would otherwise be taken by their own hands. Link

The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention was published by the U.W. Department of Health and Human Services in 2001. The Strategy creates a framework for suicide prevention for the Nation. It serves as a model for States, communities and tribes as they develop their own local suicide prevention plans. The Strategy contains ten goals for preventing suicide at the national level. Link

Substance Abuse

In 2004, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded the Florida Governor’s Office the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant. Florida’s Substance Abuse Response Guide (SARG) is Florida’s guide for community level implementation of the Strategic Prevention Framework. Link

Substance abuse and mental health statistics from SAMHSA’s Office of Applied Studies. Link

Recovery Connection® is a website dedicated to helping people, or their loved ones, in need of help with detox, drug addiction or alcoholism find treatment. Link includes a Free 24/7 National Drug and Alcohol Rehab Helpline and specific information on mental health and suicide prevention. Link

Suicidal Thoughts and Addiction Recovery Center Recovery.org's mission is to connect people and their families with information and resources to help them recover from substance abuse and behavioral disorders. The site includes a description regarding: Benefits of Inpatient Treatment programs, Healing the Whole Person, The Community Advantage, and information on Outpatient Therapy. This site also includes a 12-Step Meeting Directory for those who may want to attend meetings near home or while traveling. Link

Sustainability

Sustainability planning and strategies from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Link

The Community Toolbox: Developing a Plan for Financial Sustainability. Link

Survivors

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center library contains resources for survivors of suicide. Link

Training (see also Evidence-Based Practice)

Suicide Prevention Resource Center Training Institute provides an ever-expanding array of curricula designed to build capacity for suicide prevention in state, tribal, local, and community-based organizations. These high-quality curricula reflect the emphasis on training found in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, and in that spirit, are provided at the lowest cost possible to individuals and communities across the country. Link

What corrections professionals can do to prevent inmate suicide .Link

Florida Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training. CD-based gatekeeper training implemented by Training-the-Trainer. Contact Stephen Roggenbaum at the Florida Suicide Prevention Project for information.

Yellow Ribbon International Suicide Prevention Program, Be-A-Link® Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training for Adults. Link

United States Department of Health and Human Services: Indian Health Service identifies suicide prevention information for American Indians and Alaska natives. Link

The Crisis Center Tampa Bay offers suicide prevention gatekeeper training workshops. Link

QPR uses a “chain of survival” approach in which the gatekeeper learns to recognize early suicide warning signs, Question their meaning to determine suicide intent or desire, Persuade the person to accept or seek help, and Refer the person to appropriate resources. The training is delivered in a standardized 1-2 hour multimedia format by certified QPR gatekeeper instructors. Link

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s website lists educational resources. Link

The Training Institute for Suicide Assessment (TISA) and Clinical Interviewing (Shawn Christopher Shea, M.D.) is dedicated to providing state of the art trainings and courses on suicide assessment, suicide prevention, violence assessment, risk assessment, crisis intervention, clinical interviewing, diagnostic interviewing, and innovative methods for engaging clients and transforming resistance. Link

Suicide risk-assessment tool that goes by the acronym SAD PERSONS to be administered by non-mental health professionals (e.g., primary care physicians, triage nurses, social workers). Link

Veterans/Military

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Mental Health Home Page. Link

List of Navy and Marine Corps suicide prevention links. Link

US Army suicide prevention resources. Link

Military/Veterans information from Suicide Prevention Resource Center library. Link

Veteran’s Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Veterans can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press "1" to reach the VA hotline, which will be staffed by mental health professionals in Canandaigua, N.Y. who will work closely with local VA mental health providers to help callers.

Benefits for older veterans and their families. Link

National Alliance of Mental Illness: Veterans Resource Center. Link

American Legion’s Heroes to Hometown program for severely injured veterans. Link

Vets 4 Vets is a grass roots organization of veterans from all forces who provide workshops (paid transportation), videos, and friendship. Link

National Veterans Foundation, a non-profit organization of veterans dedicated to assisting veterans. Link

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Resources for Veterans Link

Web sites (Major Informational Sites)

Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI) at the University of South Florida: The mission of FMHI is to improve the lives of people with mental, addictive, and developmental disorders through research, training, and education. Established by the Florida legislature in 1967, the Institute is recognized as Florida's premier research and training center for behavioral health services and is a recognized national leader. Link

The Florida Suicide Prevention Implementation Project at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI) created this site which is designed to help communities meet the goals of Florida’s suicide prevention strategy. The site contains resources for community mobilization, a menu of suicide prevention actions, and resources that may be used by individuals, communities, coalitions, businesses, schools, and other organizations to take or invigorate action to prevent suicide. Link

On May 22, 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist passed a law that created the Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention within the Florida Office of Drug Control under the Executive Office of the Governor. The office is responsible for coordinating suicide prevention efforts statewide. The law also created the Florida Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council, a permanent entity that is held accountable to the Florida Legislature. The Council advises the Office of Suicide Prevention in strategies to implement the Florida Suicide Prevention Strategy. Link

The goal of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is to understand and prevent suicide. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, Ph.D., AAS promotes research, public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers. In addition, AAS serves as a national clearinghouse for information on suicide. Link

The Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA) is the nation's only suicide prevention organization dedicated to leveraging grassroots support among suicide survivors (those who have lost a loved one to suicide) and others to advance public policies that help prevent suicide. The organization was created to raise awareness, build political will, and call for action with regard to creating, advancing, implementing and evaluating a national strategy to address suicide in our nation. Link

The SPRC promotes the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and enhances the nation’s mental health infrastructure by providing states, government agencies, private organizations, colleges and universities, and suicide survivor and mental health consumer groups with access to the science and experience that can support their efforts to develop programs, implement interventions, and promote policies to prevent suicide. Link

The mission of the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition is to collaborate to develop and implement suicide prevention, intervention and postvention strategies and programs. Link

Youth (see also School-Based)

The Community Action Toolkit for Youth Suicide Prevention offered by the Youth Suicide Prevention Program may be requested or downloaded from the site. Link

The Transition to Independence Process (TIP) System model provides guidelines for assisting youth ages 14-24 having emotional and behavioral difficulties to make successful transitions to adulthood. Link

The National Center on Youth Transition at the Florida Mental Health Institute provides technical support to Transition to Independence programs throughout the nation. Link

CDC’s Youth Suicide Prevention Programs: A Resource Guide offered by the Center for Disease Control. Link

Suicide Prevention: Facts, Signs & Intervention from the National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis. Link