Select Suicide Prevention Recommendations

The Tennessee Department of Health's Division of Family Health and Wellness publishes an annual report on suicide prevention in Tennessee. The report includes a summary of current recommendations for public and private entities, concepts and projects that will support a comprehensive and collaborative statewide mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention.


State and Community Agencies

  • Increase access to adequate mental health care for all Tennesseans.
  • Spread awareness of suicide and encourage help-seeking behavior.
  • Support the widespread use of standardized behavioral health assessment protocols and tools.
  • Strengthen the crisis response infrastructure within Tennessee.
  • Support suicide prevention programs and trainings promoting connectedness and resiliency.
  • Disseminate data to assist agencies and organizations implement evidence-based suicide prevention programs.


Clinics and Hospital Systems

  • Maintain “suicide safe” facilities.
  • Provide information and counseling on access to lethal means for suicide risk assessment protocols.
  • Continue to report into the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE) database.


Healthcare Providers

  • Disseminate educational materials to patients on the signs of suicide, including how to reach out for help if they or someone they know is in
  • crisis.
  • Encourage primary care and pediatric providers to utilize screening tools such as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale to screen all patients for risk of suicide and refer those at risk to mental health services.


Public Safety and Emergency Response Agencies

  • Expand crisis intervention training and implement a standardized crisis response protocol across the entire state.
  • Promote partnerships between behavioral healthcare facilities, local law agencies to expand the Crisis Assessment and Response to  Emergencies Program.
  • Create safe, protective, and supportive work environments for all employees within law enforcement agencies, fire departments and EMS.


Educational Institutions

  • Provide training opportunities for mental health and suicide prevention to students, teachers, school support staff, and other adults that interact with children and youth.
  • Implement peer-to-peer programs such as Sources of Strength and Hope Squads in middle and high schools.
  • Incorporate a protocol for responding to ESSENCE alerts into the school suicide prevention response plan.


Individuals, Families, and Friends

  • Raise awareness of the risk factors for suicide, how to reach out for help, and appropriately refer a person at-risk for suicide to crisis lifelines.
  • Provide opportunities to complete suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings.
  • Reduce access to lethal means within the home by safely storing firearms and prescription medications.