Westcare washington adult suicide prevention - for more than two decades, washington state's suicide death rate has exceeded the national rate with 1,200+ deaths by suicide each year, the eighth…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Westcare Washington $400,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532).

Westcare Washington, through its Next Mission Alliance program, will establish a coalition-based suicide prevention initiative serving King and Pierce Counties, Washington. The recipient will convene at least 12 partner organizations to develop a strategic plan and deliver the King-Pierce Adult Suicide Prevention Initiative, targeting at-risk adults including older adults experiencing social isolation in rural areas, veterans and recently separated veterans, adults with housing instability or unemployment, and adults lacking access to behavioral health care. The project will implement at least 28 annual suicide prevention trainings across community partners, covering suicide warning signs, compassionate communication, and referral protocols. The work addresses Washington State's suicide death rate, which has exceeded the national rate for more than two decades, with 1,200 or more deaths annually.

Place of performance is Lynnwood, Washington 98087. The period of performance runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2030.

Westcare washington adult suicide prevention - for more than two decades, washington state's suicide death rate has exceeded the national rate with 1,200+ deaths by suicide each year, the eighth leading cause of death. Adults at elevated risk of suicide do not seek help from formal mental health systems first - they more often turn to trusted peer networks - in their everyday settings. Despite the critical role these community members play as informal gatekeepers, most lack basic training in suicide risk recognition, safe messaging, and warm referral, yet continue to support at-risk older adults (ages 44+). Westcare washington, INC., (wcwa) through its next mission alliance (NMA) program will form a coalition of partners to deliver coordinated, community-led suicide prevention through integrated referral pathways and cross-sector partnerships. The project is a shared-responsibility model in which no single organizations owns prevention and every partner has a defined role. The project will serve king and pierce counties, washington to deliver the king-pierce adult suicide prevention initiative. King and pierce counties has a combined population of 3,263,200 residents and this project will focus on at risk adults that include older adults experiencing social isolation and in rural areas; veterans and recently separated veterans; adults experiencing housing instability, unemployment or underemployment; adults that lack access to behavioral health care, including serious mental illness, CO-occurring conditions. By the end of the project period, the following strategies and interventions will be implemented: establish and convene the king-pierce adult suicide prevention task force, and engage at least 12 partner organizations in strategic plan development; and provide at least 28 suicide prevention trainings for 12 community partners annually in suicide warning signs, compassionate communication, and referral protocols the project goals are to establish a coordinated, sustainable community-based suicide prevention infrastructure that strengthens the capacity of trusted partners, expands community engagement, and promotes voluntary lethal means safety to reduce suicide risk among adults in king and pierce counties, washington. The measurable objectives align to samhsa strategic priorities: ● expanding crisis intervention care and services: at least 85% of training participants will demonstrate increased knowledge from pre- to post-training, as measured by pre- and post-training assessments. ● improving access to evidence-based treatment for mental illness, substance use, and CO-occurring disorders: conduct at least 6 community education and outreach events annually to promote suicide prevention awareness, voluntary lethal means safety, and available community resources, as measured by event records and attendance logs. ● identifying and addressing emerging behavioral health threats: the final progress report will detail a summary of emerging behavioral health threats identified to provide samhsa with a record of regional risk patterns.