DENVER (KDVR) — September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness month, and Colorado is playing its part in the suicide prevention movement.
The Education Development Center, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the University of Rochester Medical Center, released “The Colorado National Collaborative: A Public Health Approach to Suicide Prevention,” in the “Preventative Medicine” journal.
“Colorado, along with the leadership of local communities and national partners, has embarked on a concerted and coordinated effort to move prevention efforts across the continuum,” said CDPHE Director of the Office of the Suicide Prevention Sarah Brummett.
The journal’s special issue focuses on suicide prevention being a public health issue, rather than an isolated incident. The Colorado National Collaborative identified six different Colorado counties with high suicide rates; El Paso, Larimer, Pueblo, Mesa, La Plata, and Montezuma counties.
The CNC worked with communities within these counties, implementing a six step approach to assist in suicide prevention. The journal includes data-driven identification of those in need of suicide prevention help.
The CNC’s six step approach:
1. Connectedness
2. Economic stability and support
3. Educational and awareness
4. Access to responsive care
5. Lethal means safety
6. Postvention
For more in depth information on “The Colorado National Collaborative: A Public Health Approach to Suicide Prevention,” visit the “Preventative Medicine” journal web site.