Preventing Suicide in Colorado Initiative (PSIC): Findings from a multi-site evaluation

In 2003 The Colorado Trust, a grantmaking foundation, began a four-year $3.1 million dollar initiative to address persistently high rates of suicide in Colorado. The Preventing Suicide in Colorado Initiative provided funding to ten communities to create collaborations to plan, develop and implement comprehensive community-based suicide prevention plans. Technical assistance in working as a collaborative as well as best practices in suicide prevention was provided. While all communities created multiple strategies, nine of the ten plans included a gatekeeper training component. This component is the focus of the multi-site evaluation and this session. Final evaluation results of the initiative-wide gatekeeper training efforts will be presented.

Over 1000 Coloradans were trained using one of several gatekeeper training models as part of this initiative. Data were collected via an on-line survey to determine if and how adult trainees intervened with a person they believed was at-risk of suicide. Survey respondents reported approximately 300 interventions using gatekeeper skills during the initiative. This extensive reported use of the gatekeeper skills is one important positive outcome of the initiative. This session will describe the characteristics of trainees, their use of the gatekeeper skills and their perceptions of their role in community-based efforts to reduce suicidal behavior. As the initiative's evaluation findings have policy implications for the continued public funding of suicide prevention efforts, the presentation will conclude with achieved and potential policy discussion.