CNMI Suicide Prevention Program - The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation's Community Guidance Center (CHCC:CGC) proposes a comprehensive, evidence-based initiative to strengthen suicide prevention infrastructure and improve behavioral health outcomes for youth and young adults ages 10-24 across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Through coordinated screening, workforce development, crisis response, family engagement, and community partnerships, the program will build sustainable, CNMI-wide systems to identify youth who are at heightened risk, connect them to services, and strengthen protective factors. The program targets approximately 10,964 youth ages 10-24 residing in the CNMI, with priority attention to youth who are under-resourced and at heightened risk including youth with behavioral health concerns, justice- and foster care-involved youth, transition-age youth (18-24), and those on Tinian and Rota. Service recipients will include individuals identified through screening and referral as experiencing suicide ideation, depression, trauma, substance use, or other behavioral health needs. The project will implement evidence-based suicide risk screening (C-SSRS and PHQ-9); establish a CNMI-wide Suicide Risk Response System with referral pathways, safety planning, warm handoffs, and post-crisis follow-up; provide workforce training in QPR, safeTALK, ASIST, and LifeKeepers; implement public awareness and lethal means safety campaigns that are responsive to local contexts and needs; strengthen family support resources; enhance coordination with the 988 Lifeline; and build a comprehensive evaluation framework aligned with the SAMHSA SUPRT-P indicators. The program goals include: 1) increase capacity to identify youth at heightened risk through standardized screening across youth-serving systems; 2) develop and implement a coordinated CNMI-wide Suicide Risk Response System improving referral, continuity of care, and post-crisis support; 3) strengthen community-based prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies that promote protective factors and reduce suicide risk; 4) build a skilled suicide prevention workforce through evidence-based training and professional development; and 5) establish sustainable data collection, evaluation, and quality improvement systems. Key measurable objectives include: (1) implementing standardized suicide risk screening in at least five youth-serving systems by Year 3; (2) screening a cumulative minimum of 750 youth for suicidal ideation by Year 3; (3) achieving documented safety planning and warm handoff procedures in at least 90% of identified moderate- and high-risk cases by Year 2; (4) ensuring at least 80% of referred youth successfully connect to behavioral health services within 30 days by Year 3; (5) training a cumulative minimum of 750 professionals and community members in suicide prevention by Year 3; (6) reaching at least 5,000 individuals annually through prevention and awareness campaigns; (7) establishing at least four formal interagency partnerships by Year 4; and (8) implementing all required SUPRT-P performance measures and quarterly quality improvement reviews.
