Dear Colleague,
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2014, 2.4 million adults aged 18 or older with a substance use disorder had serious thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months, including 779,000 who made suicide plans and 429,000 who made a nonfatal suicide attempt. Adults with a substance use disorder were more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behavior than adults who did not have a substance use disorder. Health care settings provide critical opportunities for individuals at risk of suicide to access effective treatment.
As the federal leader in behavioral health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is committed to continuing to work with its partners to provide states, territories, tribal entities, communities, and the public with the assistance and resources they need. We would like to share with you SAMHSA’s newest tool for suicide prevention, the Suicide Safe mobile app.
Suicide Safe is a free app that helps health care providers integrate suicide prevention strategies into their practice and assess suicide risk among their patients. The award-winning Suicide Safe is based on the nationally recognized Suicide Assessment Five-Step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) card and helps providers:
- Confidently assist patients who present with suicidal ideation.
- Communicate effectively with at-risk patients and their families.
- Determine appropriate next steps.
- Make referrals to treatment and community resources.
The app, which features SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, is available for download on Apple® and Android™ smartphone and tablets.
To download Suicide Safe, visit http://store.samhsa.gov/apps/suicidesafe. Please also help us spread the word about Suicide Safe with your colleagues and peers. Everyone has a role to play in preventing suicide.
For further information or if you have any questions, please contact Mitra Ahadpour, MD at [email protected] at any time.
Sincerely,
Tom Hill
Acting Director
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment