Preventing suicide in rural mountain west - preventing suicide in the rural mountain west is a highly collaborative project leveraging multiple evidence-based programs and strategies to respond to the…

Preventing suicide in rural mountain west - preventing suicide in the rural mountain west is a highly collaborative project leveraging multiple evidence-based programs and strategies to respond to the acute risk of increased suicide resulting from the covid-19 pandemic across a broad rural and frontier region of the colorado rocky mountains, with specific focus on victims of domestic violence and their dependents. Solvista health, a community behavioral health center, leads a dynamic partnership with regional critical access hospitals, domestic violence victims' advocacy organizations, local public health agencies, offices of emergency management, and multiple state agencies. The project will implement community and provider training utilizing the evidence-based collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (cams) therapeutic framework of care. Cams training will be implemented with 10 individuals serving a four county region covering 4,000 square miles with a total population of over 80,000. This region is disproportionately impacted by both covid-19 and the prevailing suicide epidemic. In addition, extensive training on evidence based dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) will occur with approximately 26 treatment providers across the region in concert with the cams framework. Providers will offer intensive, evidence based individual treatment, therapy groups, and psychiatric services available in-person and via tele-health to those experiencing acute behavioral health symptoms. Complementing widespread training efforts and clinical services, the project will deploy certified peer specialists and case managers in a comprehensive approach to decrease suicide risk, promote stability, enhance social connection, increase engagement with outpatient services, and reduce the frequency of inpatient hospitalization among domestic violence victims and other at risk, rural community members.