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The SPRC Discussion Series on Suicide Prevention

USAF Suicide Prevention Program: Lessons for public health prevention in non-military ("normal") communities

David A. Litts, OD, FAAO, Suicide Prevention Resource Center
August 2, 2004

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Speaker's Biography

David Litt's photograph

David Litts, O.D. is Associate Director of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). As part of the center's executive management team, he contributes to the strategic planning of the Center and oversees the development of training initiatives and the dissemination of evidence-based practices. He also works closely with the National Council for Suicide Prevention and other partner organizations to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP). Most recently, he served for three years as Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Health and the U.S. Surgeon General wherein he worked to ensure completion of the NSSP and the development of a public-private infrastructure to facilitate its implementation. He has also served as Chief of Staff for the Air Force Surgeon General and Executive Director of the Air Force Suicide Prevention Program. In this post he oversaw the development and implementation of a comprehensive population-based suicide prevention program covering 600,000 Air Force personnel. This program is now the largest and longest sustained suicide prevention effort associated with significant reductions in suicide.

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Participants

Lori Bradshaw, Librarian, SPRC

Ellen Freedman, Senior Prevention Specialist, SPRC (Moderator)

Louisa Holmes, Prevention Specialist, SPRC

Chris Le, Prevention Specialist, SPRC

Patrice Melvin, Senior Prevention Specialist, SPRC

Deb Stone, Director, National Center for Suicide Prevention Training (NCSPT)

Lidia Bernik, Program Coordinator, SPAN USA

Bill Art, Bilingual Crisis Therapist, Johnson County Mental Health, Kansas

Colleen Carpenter, Project Coordinator, Indiana State Suicide Prevention Coalition

Robert Carlton, State Adolescent Health Coordinator, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Kathy Craft, Alaska Suicide Prevention Council Coordinator, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

Candy Kragthorpe, Mental Health Programs Coordinator, Division of Family Health, Minnesota Department of Health

Larry Lewis, SPAN USA Community Organizer, Michigan

Donna Noonan, Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Oregon Department of Human Services

Jason Padgett, Quality Improvement Coordinator, Kentucky Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation

Debbie Ruggles, Violence Prevention Specialist, Washington Department of Health

Susan Soule, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

Jonna Triggs, Director, Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services

Jan Ulrich, SPAN Community Organizer, Kentucky

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