Hope speaks niagara - adult suicide prevention - the niagara county dept

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the County of Niagara $361,793 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to formalize and expand Hope Speaks Niagara, a countywide adult suicide prevention coalition.

The project will directly serve 10,000 at-risk adults annually across Niagara County's 168,428 adult population, with 40,000 served through the four-year period of performance (September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2030). Services include community suicide prevention training (QPR, ASIST, Adult MHFA, VA S.A.V.E.), lethal means safety interventions, connection to crisis care, strengthened crisis follow-up protocols with hospitals and diversion teams, and implementation of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) model. Public awareness campaigns and community signage will reach additional residents.

The project targets adults ages 18 and older at elevated suicide risk: veterans, first responders, men with access to lethal means, socially isolated older adults ages 60 and older, rural residents, and adults with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Performance encompasses Niagara County's 1,140 square miles across urban, suburban, and rural communities, including three cities, twelve townships, and the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. Local indicators driving the project include rising emergency department presentations, increased crisis call volume, reduced inpatient capacity, provider shortages, and gaps in crisis follow-up services.

Of mental health will formalize and expand hope speaks niagara (HSN), a countywide adult suicide prevention coalition serving niagara county, new york's 168,428 adults. HSN will directly serve 10,000 at-risk adults annually and 40,000 through the project period, through training, lethal means safety, and connection to crisis care, while reaching far more residents through public awareness campaigns and community signage. The coalition will strengthen crisis follow-up, care transitions and build lasting prevention infrastructure to reduce suicide risk countywide. Niagara county covers 1,140 square miles across urban, suburban, and rural communities, including 3 cities, 12 townships, rural agricultural areas, and the niagara falls air reserve station. The proposed project targets adults ages 18 and older at elevated risk for suicide, including veterans, first responders, men with access to lethal means, socially isolated older adults (60+), rural residents, and adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and CO-occurring substance use disorders (SUD). These groups experience disproportionate suicide burden and face complex clinical needs such as depression, trauma-related disorders, SMI, SUD, social isolation, economic stress, and barriers to treatment engagement. Veterans and first responders exhibit particularly high rates of ptsd, depression, and suicide mortality, while men more often DIE by suicide through firearms. Local indicators, including rising emergency department presentations, increased local crisis/988 call volume, reduced inpatient capacity, provider shortages, and gaps in crisis follow-up, further underscore the urgency of enhanced, coordinated prevention and crisis response efforts. HSN will provide community suicide prevention training (QPR, asist, adult mhfa, VA S.A.V.E.), strengthen crisis follow up protocols with hospitals and diversion teams, implement the cams model, and distribute lethal means safety devices through cross sector partners. Additional strategies include a community designed mural installation promoting connection and help seeking, countywide public awareness campaigns using safe messaging standards, and the launch of hope speaks niagara university as a regional hub for training, workforce development, and capacity building. The project will also pilot a discreet wellness application supporting first responders with access to crisis care, wellness education, and local resources. Project goals include: 1. Strengthen HSN's infrastructure to support broad, sustainable suicide prevention efforts; 2. Develop a 4 year, data driven upstream suicide prevention plan using community surveys, focus groups, and population level indicators; 3. Implement coordinated upstream and crisis focused interventions to reduce suicide risk and build protective factors; 4. Advance countywide lethal means safety through partnerships with pharmacies, firearm retailers, law enforcement, and NYS / county parks; 5. Improve evidence based care delivery and care transitions for adults with SMI and CO occurring SUD by expanding cams, asist, and crisis follow up protocols. Measurable objectives include: train 330 community members in QPR, 205 in adult mhfa, and 80 first responders in icisf crisis‑response and healing grief trainings; install four murals and crisis‑signage at 12 high‑risk locations; distribute safe‑storage devices through at least 5 community sites annually; achieve 350 first responder wellness APP downloads; maintain comprehensive data tracking across interventions; achieve timely crisis‑follow‑up for at least 50% of individuals discharged from emergency psychiatric care. Through coordinated cross sector partnerships, expanded evidence based practices, and strengthened crisis response capacity, HSN will reduce suicide risk, enhance behavioral health resilience, and improve access to care for adults at-risk for suicide across niagara county, which align with samhsa strategic priorities.