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Suicide Prevention in Tennessee

Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network

Statistics on Suicide in Tennessee

National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

Suicide Warning Signs

Teen Suicide

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Tennessee Suicide Prevention Strategies

History of
Suicide Prevention in Tennessee

Extent of the Problem
“Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United Sates and is increasing for young people, African-American young men and adults over age 65. Suicide attempts are estimated to exceed 750,000 annually with 95 percent of those who commit or attempt suicide having a diagnosed mental illness. Families of those who commit suicide create a population of over 4 million mourners in this country” (from the Tennessee Statewide Conference program).

Beginnings
Jerry and Elsie Weyrauch founded Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network/United States of American-SPAN/USA—in 1996 in response to their daughter’s suicide. In 1998, Dr. Ken Tullis (a Memphis psychiatrist) and his wife, Madge, attended the National Suicide Prevention Conference in Reno, Nevada and went on a campaign to “Span the State of Tennessee in 1998.”

In 1999, Dr. David Satcher, Surgeon General of the United States—as one of his major campaigns— encouraged the development of a suicide prevention strategy for the entire United States. In 1999, Tennessee accepted the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide and adopted the Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

The Expert Panel
The strategy for suicide prevention in Tennessee builds on the 15 points raised in “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide 1999,” published by the Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C., 1999.

An expert panel convened and developed the Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention by responding to each of the points in the Surgeon General’s Call to Action. These strategies were submitted for consideration at the Statewide Tennessee Suicide Prevention Conference, held October 7-8, 1999, in Nashville.

Link to TN Suicide Prevention Strategies(PDF)

The Statewide Conference

On October 7-8 1999, the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Conference: Advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Linking Research and Practice was held in at the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. Ken and Madge Tullis were the chairpersons for the event that attracted nearly 600 people.
link to conference pictoral highlights(PDF)

link to faculty featured

link to conference sponsors and donors

Statewide Prevention Strategy Proposed
The conference provided a forum to increase awareness of the risk of suicide, ways to recognize warning signs and symptoms, how to establish and maintain prevention programs and ways to assist Tennesseans in obtaining proper medical treatment when suicidal thoughts are present. The Surgeon General’s National Strategy was endorsed and a Tennessee Suicide Prevention Strategy was presented to the Commissioner of the Department of Health, Dr. Fredia Wadley; Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Elisabeth Rukeyser; Chair of the Mental Health Planning Council, George Hailey and other public sector leaders. Both the public and private sector symbolically accepted responsibility for the Tennessee Strategy. The regions were challenged to further develop and begin implementation of the strategies.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN TENNESSEE
The state is implementing the Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Progress has been made in the following ways:

  1. The 101st General Assembly of the State of Tennessee passed House Joint Resolution No.65 declaring the week of October 3-9, 1999 as “Suicide Prevention Week” in Tennessee and resolving to work with the Jason Foundation, SPAN-USA and other deserving groups toward suicide prevention in Tennessee.
  2. The Governor appointed a Suicide Prevention Advisory Council (SPAC) to coordinate funding and implementation of the Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention in January 2000. This council includes survivors, survivors of suicide attempts, private health care professionals, clergy, teachers, mental health professionals and representatives from state departments.
  3. The Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities funded a Tennessee Suicide Prevention Coordinator in January 2000.
    A contract was developed with the Crisis Intervention Center to hire a Statewide Suicide Prevention Coordinator. Janice Brown was hired and her office located in Nashville at the Crisis Intervention Center. The office was accessible to the entire state.
  4. SPAG—Suicide Prevention Action Group—Chairpersons have been identified in all seven regions of the state. A number of SPAG members have committed to work with the strategy and others are continuing to be recruited. SPAG duties include conference planning and choosing two strategies to work on in their region.
  5. Eight Regional Workshops were held across Tennessee in 2001-2002. Participants included over 1500 people including mental health consumers, representatives from state departments, clergy, public and private schools, local health care providers and crisis centers.

    Link to 2001 Regional Conferences(PDF)

  6. 1-800-SUICIDE was implemented as a statewide suicide hotline in Tennessee in 2000 and is now being answered by AAS Certified Crisis Intervention Centers in Nashville and Memphis.
  7. Scott Ridgway was hired, as the second Statewide Suicide Prevention Coordinator in July 2001. His office is located in Nashville at the Crisis Intervention Center and is accessible to the entire state.
  8. The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network was organized in September 2001.

    Link to network

  9. Monthly meetings of state inter-departmental groups were organized for better coordination of services.
  10. Suicide prevention was publicized in radio interviews through the TDMHDD's radio show “Mental Health Matters.”
  11. Lakeside Behavioral Health System started an inpatient Suicide Prevention Service in January 2002.
  12. The Jason Foundation, Inc., provided numerous educational programs on Suicide Prevention in middle and high schools throughout Tennessee in 1999-2002.
  13. Governor Don Sundquist signed a proclamation declaring May 28, 2002 the first Suicide Prevention Awareness Day in Tennessee.

    Link to Suicide Prevention Pledge

  14. Representatives from the TNSP Network attended the SPAN-USA & AAS Conferences in 2000-2002.
  15. A national suicide prevention training program, Living Works, was implemented in Middle Tennessee through a collaborative effort led by Tennessee Voices for Children and the Middle Tennessee Youth Suicide Action Council to train 900 gatekeepers. Because of the great success of this effort, the network has trained 24 additional trainers, across the state, with a goal to train 100 individuals in each region across Tennessee within the next year.

 
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