Zero Suicide Program
Zero Suicide Program
University of Utah Health Zero Suicide Program
In health care, we have a unique opportunity to intervene and provide support to individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts. Through the implementation of evidence-based identification, risk stratification, prevention processes, and by creating a culture in which suicide prevention is woven into the fabric of the health care system, we can help prevention suicide deaths.
University of Utah Health has embraced this challenge through the development of the Zero Suicide Program. Tasked with the implementation of the seven elements of the evidence based Zero Suicide Framework, our system strives toward the aspirational goal of zero suicides. We have committed to system-wide change focused on developing a culture that values comprehensive, integrated and evidence-based care for individuals struggling with suicide.
The University of Utah Health Zero Suicide Program is not a patient facing clinical program. For behavioral health clinical resources available within the University of Utah Health system, please visit Huntsman Mental Health Programs & Services.
Zero Suicide Program Mission & Vision
Zero Suicide Program Mission
The University of Utah Health 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.
Zero Suicide Program Vision
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.
Zero Suicide Program Goals
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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.
Progress Toward Goals
Suicide Prevention Educational Series
The University of Utah Health Zero Suicide Programs seeks to prevent suicide through public awareness and education. Our educational series is designed to provide knowledge and training to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and empower individual to intervene and support those at risk for suicide.
Registration for each session opens six weeks before the scheduled training date
JOIN US FOR SEASON 4:
To Hospitalize or Not to Hospitalize: Ethical Considerations When Utilizing Psychiatric Hospitalization for the Treatment of Suicide Risk
September 10, 2026, 12:00-1:00 PM
Brent Kious, MD, PhD
December 10, 2026, 12:00-1:00 PM
Michael Staley, PhD
The Intermountain West Suicide Puzzle: Why Are Rates So High?
March 11, 2027, 12:00-1:00 PM
Panel: Amanda Bakian, Phd, Deborah Azrael, PhD, Matthew Miller, PhD
Moderator: Brooks Keeshin, MD
Beyond "Real or Not": A Compassionate Approach to Complex Suicide Risk
June 10, 2027, 12:00-1:00 PM
Panel: Ursula Whiteside, PhD, John Draper, PhD, Jonathan Singer, PhD, LCSW, Kevin Curtis, LCSW
Moderator: Rachael Jasperson, LCSW, PhD, MBA
REGISTER FOR OUR NEXT TRAINING!
September 10, 2026, 12:00pm-1:00pm
To Hospitalize or Not to Hospitalize: Ethical Considerations When Utilizing Psychiatric Hospitalization for the Treatment of Suicide Risk with Brent Kious, MD, PhD
Qualifies for Ethics CEUs
Psychiatric hospitalization for individuals at risk of suicide can be lifesaving, stabilizing, and necessary. It can also be traumatic, misapplied, or used in ways that unintentionally undermine autonomy, trust, and long-term engagement in care. Clinicians often find themselves navigating a maze of ethical tensions: safety versus self-determination, beneficence versus potential harm, legal mandates versus clinical judgement.
This webinar offers a grounded, compassionate framework for making hospitalization decisions that are clinically sound, ethically defensible, and aligned with the patient's long-term well-being. It's an opportunity to deepen your ethical clarity, strengthen your confidence, and refine your approach to one of the most challenging decisions in suicide-risk management.
Watch Past Trainings and Access Slide Decks
Season 3
Navigating the Clinical Terrain: Management of Acute vs. Chronic Suicide Risk
The Role of Medication in the Management of Suicidality
The Relationship Between Suicide Risk and Trauma
Social Media Influence on Suicide Risk
Season 2
Ethics for Treating Individuals at Risk for Suicide
Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches for Suicide Ideation
Suicide Prevention Approaches with Adolescents
Prediction and Prevention: Mistakes We Need to Stop Making in Suicidology
Season 1
Suicide Prevention within Healthcare for the LGBTQ+ Community
Suicide Postvention: Navigating the Aftermath of a Suicide Attempt or Loss
Suicide Prevention in Healthcare with the Veteran Population
Understanding Insomnia and Chronic Pain for Suicide & Clinical Approaches
You Matter Outreach: from Crisis to Care
About the Webinar:
Following a behavioral health crisis, individuals face an elevated risk of suicide, particularly after discharge from an emergency department or inpatient setting. This transition period can be challenging and overwhelming for both patients and their families. The You Matter Outreach program is committed to ensuring a safe, supportive, and seamless return to community life.
This webinar will outline the development and implementation of the You Matter Outreach program within the University of Utah Health system, including integration with the EPIC electronic health record.
What you will learn:
- Barriers encountered during program development
- Approaches to patient enrollment and workflow
- Methods for data tracking and reporting
- Patient engagement and response insights
