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Resources for Providers

Health care professionals help to prevent suicide through community education and awareness efforts, and by providing intervention and postvention services.

Medical Providers

Screening and Assessment

Clinical Practice Guideline

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense (VA/DoD) established a Clinical Practice Guideline Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  for the assessment and management of patients at risk for suicide. The guideline identifies critical decision points in the management of suicide risk behavior, and provides clear recommendations on incorporating current information into practice. The guideline is only a tool to assist providers, and is not a substitute for clinical judgment.

Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention

The American Indian/Alaska Native pages Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) were customized to to enhance suicide prevention and mental health promotion resources for individuals working with American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

The AI/AN Task Force developed the National AI/AN Hope for Life Day toolkit Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  to further advance the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s priority to change the public conversation around suicide and suicide prevention in AI/AN communities.

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , a national public-private partnership advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, created an AI/AN Task Force in 2011, which aims to support suicide prevention efforts in native communities nationwide.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Wallet Card: Suicide Prevention: Learn the Warning SignsExit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  is available to download or order from SAMHSA. The card lists warning signs and urges those who exhibit signs of suicide to contact a mental health professional or call the toll-free suicide prevention hotline.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Wallet Card: Having Trouble Coping? With Help Comes Hope Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  is also available to download or order from SAMHSA. The card lists signs of depression and urges people who are having trouble coping after a traumatic event to call the hotline.

Through SAMHSA, the NSPL also offers three guides in booklet form to taking care of yourself Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , loved onesExit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , or, for medical providers to care for patients Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  after a suicide attempt.

The NSPL has a Lifeline Online Postvention Manual [PDF - 105 MB]Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  presentation on the Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s American Indian Initiative to assist with healing after a suicide or suicide attempt.