prevent suicides in adult patients age 25 years and older, in Suffolk County, NY by implementing the evidence-based Zero Suicide program across five hospitals, two domestic violence treatment programs, and ten FSL clinical sites. The SCSP program will serve patients discharged from emergency departments and inpatient hospital units, as well as patients referred from domestic violence treatment programs. Suffolk County, a 912 square mile region east of New York City, sits at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., with 1,840 confirmed COVID-19 deaths at the time of this submission, and has reported more than 120 suicides in each of the past two years. Suffolk County is also in the midst of the national opioid epidemic, with the highest rate of overdose deaths and overdose-related hospital admissions in the New York City metropolitan area.
FSL has already seen a 7.8% increase in patients and a 22% increase in units of service since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The stay-at-home orders in response to the pandemic, as well as the financial instability that has resulted from businesses being closed, have also resulted in increased rates of domestic violence in Suffolk County. The SCSP program will provide additional resources to meet this increased need among Suffolk County residents.
The SCSP program will build on the existing relationship between FSL, local hospitals, and domestic violence treatment programs, increasing the capacity of all providers to prevent suicide in adult patients age 25 and older, including those with psychiatric comorbidities, substance use disorders, and victims of domestic violence. This project will also identify individuals with precursors to these disorders, such as social isolation and financial instability, through extensive screening of at-risk populations. We propose to link four local hospitals and two domestic violence treatment programs with an integrated FSL program that will comprehensively screen, assess and intervene to identify and treat individuals at risk of suicide, including those who have made recent suicide attempts, those with active suicidal ideation or plans, and those with underlying conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders (including Acute Stress Disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), psychotic disorders and substance use disorders.
Embedded in the proposed program are the use of evidence-based assessment instruments, evidence-based interventions to address suicidality, as well as related mental health and chemical dependency issues, and extensive staff training for all providers in the referral network. These activities will ensure that patients will be assessed quickly and accurately, referred to effective services, treated and followed over time by a group of integrated care providers who share a common understanding of effective strategies to address their needs. The development of assessment, referral and treatment protocols, along with the extensive provider training, will result in a sustainable network of care providers in Suffolk County.
