Zero Suicide Initiative

The Zero Suicide Initiative is a comprehensive model of suicide prevention that challenges health and behavioral health care systems to strive for zero suicides among those in their care. The Zero Suicide Initiative provides guidance to health care systems looking to change the way they treat individuals who are at-risk for suicide. With the goal of zero suicides and overall improved suicide prevention care, the Zero Suicide program focuses on creating a belief and commitment to improvement mental health, taking a systematic approach to eliminating suicides among members, and using evidenced-based clinical care practices.
The essential elements of zero suicide care are:
1. Lead system-wide cultural change committed to reducing suicides
2. Train a competent, confident, and caring workforce
3. Identify individuals with suicide risk via a comprehensive screening and assessment
4. Engage all individuals at-risk of suicide using suicide care management plan
5. Treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors using evidence-based treatments
6. Transition individuals through care with warm hand-offs and supportive contacts
7. Improve policies and procedures through continuous quality improvement

The program was developed by the Henry Ford Health System supported by Zero Suicide under the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, which is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The Zero Suicide Initiative is a comprehensive model of suicide prevention that challenges health and behavioral health care systems to strive for zero suicides among those in their care.

The Henry Ford Health System in Detroit developed the Zero Suicide framework in 2001, using strategies that involved assessments for all behavioral health patients and provider follow-up with patients. In their study, the Henry Ford Health System compared death rates due to suicides of members receiving behavioral health to the general population of Michigan. The researchers used linear regression to evaluate rates over time with statistical significance (p<0.05). During the 11 year study (1999-2010), the suicide rate in behavioral health patients decreased by 75% within the first 4 years post implementation (from 96 per 100,000 in 1999-2000 to 24 per 100,000 in 2001-10, p<0.04). Additionally, the mean annual suicide rate for all members did not significantly change over time (5.77 per 100,000, p=0.20) while the annual suicide rate for Michigan increased significantly (mean: 10.82 per 100,000, p<0.001).