What is the Zero Suicide Initiative?
Zero Suicide is a comprehensive approach to improving suicide prevention within health and behavioral health care systems.
It is grounded in the belief that suicide deaths among individuals receiving care are preventable. For organizations committed to patient safety, Zero Suicide offers both an aspirational goal and a practical, system-wide framework for transforming how care is delivered—ensuring it is safer, more proactive, and more effective in reducing suicide risk.
Zero Suicide Framework
The foundation of Zero Suicide is a comprehensive framework made up of seven essential elements. These elements reflect what experts in suicide prevention have identified as the core components of safe and effective care for individuals at risk. Together, they represent a holistic, system-wide approach to suicide prevention:
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Lead—Create a leadership-driven, safety-oriented culture committed to reducing suicide.
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Train—Develop a competent, confident, and caring workforce.
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Identify—Systematically identify individuals at risk for suicide.
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Engage—Ensure pathways to care and support for those at risk.
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Treat—Use evidence-based treatments that directly target suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
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Transition—Provide continuous care and support during transitions and after discharge.
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Improve—Use data to drive continuous quality improvement in suicide care
Zero Suicide Program Mission and Vision
The University of Utah Zero Suicide Program is committed to developing a system-wide culture dedicated to dramatically reducing suicides by creating a competent, confident, and caring workforce –and identifying, engaging, and caring for individuals at risk for suicide through evidence-based screening, assessment, and treatment.
Utah Suicide Rate
Our vision is to decrease suicides in Utah by ensuring everyone in the University of Utah Health system who is at risk for suicide has a pathway to care that is timely and adequately meets their needs.
Suicide Prevention Goals of the Initiative
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Develop a system-wide culture committed to reducing suicide and eliminating the stigma associated with addressing suicide.
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Develop practice standards for effective suicide care through implementation of evidence-based patient engagement and treatment methods.
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Develop methods of capturing and reporting on data for evaluation of system quality, practice compliance, and suicide prevention training effectiveness.
