Nebraska

The purpose of Nebraska’s proposed project is to reduce the number of suicides and attempts for youth ages 10-24 with a focus on outreach to15-24 year olds because their suicide rate is increasing in Nebraska, exceeding the US rate. Prevention activities are concentrated in southeast Nebraska because the youth suicide rate for this area is over the state and US rate. We reach the entire state by including suicide prevention in coordinated school health plans for K-12 schools and workforce development for clinicians serving youth in crisis. Nebraska will promote the zero suicide approach for health and behavioral health organizations along with evidence based strategies and practices to prevent youth suicide. The project has four goals. 1) Decrease the youth suicide rate 80% in Region 5 by 2024. 2) 100% of Nebraska public school districts will have policies and protocols in place for suicide prevention, post-suicide intervention, and transition back to school after a suicide crisis by 2024. 3) Twenty (20) Nebraska providers or healthcare systems will implement the zero suicide approach by 2024. 4) 100% of Nebraska’s child serving systems will adopt evidence-based practices to follow-up with youth after a suicide attempt or hospitalization by 2024. During the course of the grant we will reach 70,000 15to 24-year-olds in Region 5, and embed suicide prevention practices in 244 school districts reaching 187,000 public school students in grades 5-12 statewide. We will train at least 200 clinicians by introducing 30 organizations to the zero-suicide initiative, embed suicide screening with school psychologist services in 17 educational service units and 12 treatment organizations, We will implement evidence based follow-up after youth experience a suicide crisis in five child serving systems and two healthcare systems, and implement evidence based post-suicide intervention practices on five post-secondary campuses impacting lives of 40,000 college age students.