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Taking Action: Implementing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Conference

December 3 - 5, 2003
New Orleans, LA

Conference Summary

Conference Intent:
The conference provided a tailored training opportunity to stakeholders and advocates in suicide prevention collaborations in each PHS region, state, tribe, and territory who will participate as leaders and workers in effective collaborations for suicide prevention across the life course.

Conference Goals:
The specific goals of this conference were to:

a) Provide opportunities to share evidence-based practices and experiences in suicide prevention planning, program implementation, and evaluation.

b) Build capacity for planning, implementation, and evaluation of suicide prevention programs.

c) Strengthen relationships between members within collaborations that will be instrumental in sustaining their effectiveness well into the future.

d) Facilitate networking between participants from different states.

Conference Sponsors:
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  • Suicide Prevention Resource Center
  • Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Health Resources and Services Administration
  • Indian Health Service
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Office on Women's Health
  • Region IV and VI Office of Public Health and Science, ORHA
Participants:
Over 200 participants attended this regional conference. Ten people were hand-picked by the state planning committee from each state to receive full funding for participation. Emphasis was placed on creating a professionally diverse team to ensure that suicide prevention in each state is implemented across the life course. In all, 130 participants received scholarships to attend the training. One participant was glad for the broad representation of states and professions, praising "the creative energy that stemmed from the sharing of ideas and strategies."

Content:
General: Attendees were engaged through a balance of plenary sessions, breakout sessions, state planning meetings, a poster session, and interstate networking meetings. Some of the nation's top scientists joined with regional and local experts to share their knowledge and experiences with participants. Sessions were presented on a wide range of suicide prevention topics.

Presentations: Speaking on suicide prevention across the life course, 30 presenters emphasized how states can effectively use data-driven decision-making and evidence-based practices for planning and evaluation to most efficiently leverage suicide prevention resources. One participant considered the "opportunity to hear from experts in their field" a major strength of her time in New Orleans.

Collaborations: By reflecting on existing strengths of state coalitions, attendees devised strategies to move their state planning process forward. State breakout sessions occupied day two and three of the conference. These sessions, designed around the needs of states at different stages in the planning process, were led by leaders in the field and professionals from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. The team leader from one state, which prior to the conference had no organized suicide prevention efforts, said "Speaking for our delegation - planning time was critical. We're in better shape because our slate was clean. Information we were able to take from the conference gives us an opportunity to shape things in a better way."

Outcome:
States developed a work plan that includes 3 goals for the year, and specific action steps to reach those goals. Examples of these goals include:
  • Identify new coalition members: getting survivors, educators involved.
  • Work with State Legislators.
  • Revise state plan based on national strategy and other state's plans.
  • Begin to meet regularly - maintaining the momentum.
Unexpected Outcome:
Interstate collaboration has begun: A delegate from Alabama has contacted the Arkansas state group to share information about a faith-based representative interested in joining the Arkansas group. We expect further resource sharing to follow. Many states want more state interaction activity, claiming that "We created an atmosphere of safety. We felt really safe. We would like more state to state time."

Follow-up:
In an effort to make materials presented at the conference available to those who were unable to attend, SPRC will post these materials on their website in the immediate future. In addition, SPRC will make MP3 files available of the plenary sessions.

SPRC will work with the conference participants, planners, and speakers after the conferences. Technical Assistance Specialists have contacted State team leaders (the planners) and will continue to monitor states' progress as the year progresses. The goals that each state has set have been recorded. As an assessment of the conference - SPRC will be checking in with each state at the six month mark to discern if the outlined goals have been met.

Participants have been encouraged to contact SPRC with any questions they have or resources they might need. They will also receive e-mail correspondence from SPRC regarding advances in the field, website updates, and additional resources as they become available. Speakers will receive evaluation summaries, and will be encouraged to collaborate with SPRC to continually make their presentations more effective to suicide prevention.