Suicide Mortality Review Cooperative Agreements

This funding supports States, territories, and Tribal entities in establishing, coordinating, and managing suicide mortality review committees (SMRC) to identify and characterize suicide deaths and support the capacity to develop and implement data-i

The purpose of these cooperative agreements is to increase the number and use of suicide mortality reviews and suicide mortality review committees (SMRC) among State, Territories and American Indian and Alaska Native tribes in order to identify and characterize suicide deaths and support the capacity to develop and implement data-informed strategies to prevent suicide, including suicide among veterans. Veterans must be a population of focus for suicide mortality reviews. States, territories, and Tribes may identify key counties, cities, municipalities, or other political subdivisions in their own jurisdictions with whom they wish to coordinate for local SMRC development and implementation.

Eligible applicants must be one of the following: 1. American Indian, Alaskan Native Tribal governments. 2.A State or territory. This may include, States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Note: States, territories, and Tribes may identify key counties, cities, municipalities, or other political subdivisions within their own jurisdiction with whom they wish to coordinate for local SMRC development and implementation, which must be noted in the application.

State governments, territorial governments, tribal governments

Funds can be used to support core suicide mortality review committee functions (i.e. abstraction, analysis, coordination, meeting logistics, dissemination activities, and travel for relevant activities). Funds can be used to pay for services (i.e. postvention, outreach, and education), activities (i.e. trainings, conferences), and supplies necessary to conduct the aims outlined in the NOFO.

Funds can be used to support core suicide mortality review committee functions (i.e. abstraction, analysis, coordination, meeting logistics, dissemination activities, and travel for relevant activities). Funds can be used to pay for services (i.e. postvention, outreach, and education), activities (i.e. trainings, conferences), and supplies necessary to conduct the aims outlined in the NOFO.

Funding is provided after eligible entities are awarded, which will be for one year, with funding being awarded by September 30, 2024. Funding must be spent by the end of the following fiscal year, September 30, 2025.

Applications will be divided into two groups, Focus Area 1 and Focus Area 2. Applications will be scored by a VA review committee. The review committee will be trained in understanding the program's goals, the requirements of the NOFO and the prescribed scoring rubric and will follow uniform guidance on application reviews (pursuant to 2 C.F.R. part 200). SMR cooperative agreement scoring criteria can be viewed in this NOFO.

Applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed for entity eligibility and those deemed eligible will be scored using standardized criteria. A listing of proposed awards will be forwarded to the Office of the Secretary of Veteran Affairs for final approval. Funds will be distributed to awarded entities via an account with the Payment Management Services, which awarded entities will use to access the funds.