The ISK Health System Zero Suicide project will transform the system’s approach to suicide prevention and treatment serving serve adults age 25 and older at risk of suicide in Kalamazoo County. Kalamazoo County (population 259,830) is an urban county located in southwest Michigan. Adults 25 and older make up 62% of the population (161,274), with a slightly higher female population (52%). The County has a diverse population of 79% White, 12% Black/African American, 0.5% American Indian and 5% Hispanic/Latino. English is the predominant language spoken (92.88%) with Spanish at 2.98%). Gender makeup is 49% male, 51% female, 3.8% LGBTQ and 0.6% Transgender. The county poverty rate is 18.3% and there are 13,768 Veterans in the County. Individuals at greater risk are homeless, involved with the criminal justice system, diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder, and identify as LGBTQ. The ISK health system is a community-based behavioral health care organization providing a publicly funded network of services that are integrated with health systems across the county. This includes ISK, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), and a network panel providing comprehensive, community-based behavioral health care.
Goal 1: Create a leadership-driven, safety-oriented culture committed to dramatically reducing suicide among people under care. Objective 1: Create a cross system suicide prevention leadership team that actively guides and directs the Zero Suicide model of care and includes survivors of suicide attempts and suicide loss in leadership and planning roles Objective 2: Complete Zero Suicide Organizational Self Study and incorporate data/ findings to guide development of culture. Objective 3: Develop and implement a system wide strategic plan to address gaps identified in the Organizational Self Study. Goal 2: Provide effective, evidence-based treatment and services for those at risk of suicide. Objective 1: Using the Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR), provide training to100% of clinical staff across the health system that is position relevant, and includes content specific to identification, assessment, management and treatment, and ongoing evaluation of individuals in order to increase core suicide related clinical competencies. Objective 2: Enhance and expand delivery of evidence-based treatments for 100% of enrolled individuals through workforce development in the use of Motivational Interviewing, CBT-SP and DBT. Objective 3: Provide annual suicide prevention and awareness trainings (safeTALK and ASIST) for health system staff. Goal 3: Develop quality Suicide Care Management Plans for every individual identified at risk of suicide. Objective 1: Develop capacity of EHR to better identify, engage, and monitor individuals at risk of suicide. Objective 2: Develop and implement protocols for effective rapid follow up post discharge on individuals that have attempted suicide or experienced a suicidal crisis. Objective 3: Develop and implement protocols that include safety planning and reduction of access to lethal means. The project will serve 100 individuals Year 1, 150 individuals Year 2, 200 individuals year 3, 4, and 5 for a total of 850 unduplicated individuals by end of Year 5.