Suicide Prevention Resource Center

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2010 for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center grant. The purpose of this program is to provide prevention support, training, and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions, and policies, and to establish public and private partnerships including the establishment and implementation of the National Action Alliance as a major support for the advancement of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP).The National Action Alliance will be responsible for promoting, developing, implementing activities leading to the achievement of the national strategy objectives. The group will provide national leadership in policy recommendations and the formulation of national approaches for the prevention of suicidal behavior. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center is designed to be both a resource for the Nation, as well as a source of technical assistance and expertise for SAMHSA Suicide Prevention grantees. Further, suicide prevention efforts among high risk youth, suicide attempters, the growing elder populations, and those in despair due to economic concerns should be addressed, including use and analysis of “new media” technologies, tele-health, and improved culturally appropriate strategies.The Suicide Prevention Resource Center is one of SAMHSA’s infrastructure grant programs. SAMHSA’s Infrastructure Grants support an array of activities to help the grantee build a solid foundation for delivering and sustaining effective suicide prevention and mental health services. SAMHSA recognizes that each applicant will start from a unique point in developing infrastructure and will serve populations/communities with specific needs. Awardees may pursue diverse strategies and methods to achieve their infrastructure development and capacity expansion goals. Successful applicants will provide a coherent and detailed conceptual “roadmap” of the process by which they have assessed or intend to assess service system needs and plan/implement infrastructure development strategies that meet those needs. The plan put forward in the grant application must show the linkages among needs, the proposed infrastructure development strategy, and increased system capacity that will enhance and sustain effective programs and services. As of February 2009, approximately 1.89 million men and women have been deployed to serve in support of overseas contingency operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Individuals returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk for suffering post-traumatic stress and other related disorders. Experts estimate that up to one-third of returning veterans will need mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and related services. In addition, the family members of returning veterans have an increased need for related support services. To address these concerns, SAMHSA strongly encourages all applicants to consider the unique needs of returning veterans and their families in developing their proposed project.The Suicide Prevention Resource Center grant is authorized under 520C of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus area 18 - Mental Health and Mental Disorders.

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