Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Maryland’s Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Network (MD-SPIN) provides a continuum of suicide prevention training, resources, and technical assistance to advance the development of a comprehensive suicide prevention and early intervention service system for youth and young adults. MD-SPIN will increase the number of youth, ages 10-24, identified, referred and receiving quality behavioral health services, with a focus on serving high risk youth populations (LGBTQ, transition age, veterans and military families, youth with emotional and behavioral concerns) and in target settings (schools, colleges/universities, juvenile services facilities, primary care, emergency departments). Led by the Maryland Mental Hygiene Administration, key partners include the University of Maryland Department of Psychiatry, the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health, the Community Behavioral Health Association of Maryland, and the public education system (1424 public kindergarten to 12th grade schools, 30 public university/college/community colleges, and 12 juvenile facilities programs). Goals are to: 1) enhance culturally competent, effective, and accessible community-based services and programs by developing a network that includes technical assistance and support, 2) broaden public awareness of suicide by utilizing MD-SPIN to support marketing and dissemination/ diffusion efforts related to suicide prevention for youth/young adults, 3) increase evidence-based training opportunities for professionals and others who work with high risk groups by training a diverse, multidisciplinary group of youth and adults across the state using online suicide prevention programs (Kognito) and evidence-based resources to promote continuity of care, and 4) assure effective services to those who have attempted suicide or others affected by suicide attempt or death by developing a state training and technical assistance model to promote referral and access to and follow through with high quality care. MD-SPIN will serve youth and young adults (64% White, 27.9% Black, 4.3% Hispanic, 9% of families below the poverty level statewide, with local jurisdictions up to 26% poverty). Despite a suicide rate consistent with the national average, MD youth report higher rates of suicidal ideation (16.2%) and suicide attempts (10.9%). We anticipate training 1,574 (1,000 secondary school staff, 500 higher education staff, 24 primary care providers (PCPs), 10 ED and inpatient providers, 20 youth/young adult peers, and 20 family members) individuals in Year 1; 4,172 (1,000 primary school, 2,000 secondary school, 1,000 higher education, 72 PCPs, 20 ED/inpatient providers, 40 peers, and 40 family) individuals in Year 2; and 6,304 (1,500 primary, 3,000 secondary, 1,500 higher education, 144 PCPs, 40 ED/inpatient, 60 peers, and 60 family) individuals in Year 3, and 6,988 (2,000 primary, 3,000 secondary, 1,500 higher education, 288 PCPs, 40 ED/inpatient, 80 peers, and 80 family) individuals in each Year 4 and Year 5, with 26,026 youth identified as being at risk for suicide and referred for additional evaluation/ services if each person trained identifies one person.