268218 National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention: Championing suicide prevention as a national priority and catalyzing change

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM

Katie Wootten Deal, MPH , Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Education Development Center, Washington, DC
Jerry Reed, PhD, MSW , Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Education Development Center, Washington, DC
David Litts, OD , Education Development Center, Inc, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Waltham, MA
Launched on September 10, 2010, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) brings together over 200 diverse organizations from the public and private sectors. The Action Alliance is the public-private partnership advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP). The mission is to champion suicide prevention as a national priority, catalyze efforts to implement high-priority objectives of the NSSP, and cultivate the resources needed to sustain progress. To achieve this mission, the Action Alliance brings together traditional and non-traditional suicide prevention partners. Examples include military and veteran organizations, public health and mental health professionals, juvenile justice agencies, business leaders, the faith community, suicide attempt survivors, survivors of suicide loss, LGBT organizations and more. The Action Alliance has identified four national priorities with the potential to significantly reduce suicide deaths: 1) Integrate suicide prevention into health care reform and encourage the adoption of similar measures in the private sector; 2) Transform health care systems to significantly reduce suicide; 3) Change the public conversation around suicide and suicide prevention; and 4) Increase the quality, timeliness, and usefulness of surveillance data regarding suicidal behaviors. This presentation will discuss the mission of the Action Alliance, the most significant achievements to date, and implementation of the national priorities. The presentation will also discuss the need for collaboration with diverse public health stakeholders to successfully reduce the burden of suicide in the US.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe the significance of the Action Alliance. 2) List the four priority areas for the Action Alliance which will advance suicide prevention efforts in the US. 3) Discuss two significant accomplishments of the Action Alliance.

Keywords: Suicide, Partnerships

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I serve as the Deputy Secretary for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Duties include managing the operation of the Action Alliance Secretariat, implementing and evaluating the work plan and supervising the Secretariat’s staff. In addition, I am responsible for communicating with the members, partners, and funders of the Action Alliance to advance the Action Alliance’s work and priorities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.