Nebraska State Government Country Resources Suicide Prevention Nebraska 30 October 2015 Policy document

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Suicide is a preventable public health problem impacting Nebraskans of all ages and backgrounds across our state, tribal lands and nation. Suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility. The desired outcome of actions stimulated by the state suicide prevention plan is zero suicides in Nebraska. This is an aspirational goal that recognizes the personal nature of suicide and its impact. One suicide is too many in any family, community or system. Nebraska’s challenge is to adopt a statewide philosophy that suicide is preventable accompanied by shared strategies to prevent it. This sets the stage for the development of specific action plans that include measurable outcomes. Nebraska’s plan builds on the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention by embracing an ecological approach to suicide and the organization of goals and objectives in four interconnected strategic directions.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Behavioral Health purposely maintains this statewide plan for suicide prevention as a shared document for all systems. Thus, this plan provides a framework for state agencies, regional entities, community coalitions and organizations to guide development of action plans related to suicide prevention. These organizational action plans should support the state’s suicide prevention goals and be evidence-based or informed, culturally sensitive and data-driven.

National Strategic Directions
The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is organized with four strategic directions that are
“interrelated and interactive, rather than stand alone areas” (page 24 of the National Strategy).
Organization by strategic direction allows for overlaps in each of these areas with a caveat that
goals and objectives must be customized and made culturally and linguistically relevant by local
areas working in suicide prevention. The four strategic directions support promotion of mental
and emotional well-being, injury and violence free living, preventing suicidal behaviors and
preventing drug abuse and excessive alcohol use by focusing on:
1. Healthy empowered individuals, families and communities
2. Clinical and community preventive services
3. Treatment and support services
4. Surveillance, research and evaluation

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