The three-year award will enable the Zero Suicide Institute to bring intensive training, consultation, and practical implementation support to 48 outpatient health care organizations across the U.S. These organizations include community behavioral health clinics and mental health centers, crisis centers, and integrated primary care settings.

Zero Suicide is an evidence-based framework developed by EDC in 2012 in collaboration with public and private partners that helps health and behavioral health systems strengthen suicide care. The comprehensive framework drives practice improvements through leadership commitment; workforce training; screening, assessment, treatment, and follow-up; and a focus on data collection. The model is grounded in a simple but urgent premise: people at risk of suicide should receive consistent, compassionate, high-quality care wherever they enter the health system.

For too many people experiencing suicidal thoughts, care can still depend on where they seek help, who they see, and whether a health system has the tools and training to respond effectively. By expanding Zero Suicide implementation in outpatient settings, EDC and Four Pines Fund aim to help close the gap between what research shows works and the care people too often receive.

“We are deeply grateful to Four Pines Fund for their investment in supporting work that can strengthen systems of care, equip the workforce, and help more people receive the support they need when it matters most,” said Dr. Julie Goldstein Grumet, EDC Vice President and Director of the Zero Suicide Institute. “Together, we can transform suicide care.”

Four Pines Fund is dedicated to expanding access to effective suicide care for all who need it. Its support will enable EDC to deepen and scale Zero Suicide implementation through the Zero Suicide Academy® and Zero Suicide Community of Practice. Our team will also help states and health care leaders understand the policy and systems conditions needed to sustain high-quality suicide care.

Over the next three years, Four Pines Fund support will enable EDC to:

• Provide intensive Zero Suicide Institute® training and technical assistance to the 48 outpatient health care organizations.
• Identify key policy levers and state supports needed to scale, support, and evaluate Zero Suicide effectively.
• Increase health care organizations’ awareness of Zero Suicide and its role in improving patient outcomes, workforce capacity, and care quality.
• Update and expand EDC’s Zero Suicide Toolkit, a free resource that offers practical guidance and tools to health care systems implementing Zero Suicide.

The Zero Suicide Institute is a key part of EDC’s work to promote mental health and prevent suicide. Learn more about EDC’s Mental Health and Wellbeing and Suicide, Addictions, and Violence Prevention initiatives.

About Education Development Center (EDC)

EDC is a global nonprofit that works with partners to advance every person’s journey to learn, work, and be well. For over 65 years, EDC has partnered with communities, governments, and the private sector to improve education, workforce development, and health outcomes. By combining interdisciplinary expertise with real-world experience, EDC works across these pillars to design, implement, and scale evidence-based solutions that help partners create lasting change. Zero Suicide Institute is part of EDC Solutions, which brings EDC’s experience directly to clients committed to solving complex problems.

About Four Pines Fund

Four Pines Fund is a philanthropic organization dedicated to expanding access to effective suicide care to all who need it. This program at EDC’s Zero Suicide Institute® is one of a collective of five grants made by Four Pines Fund in 2026 to accelerate the national implementation of effective suicide care practices in health organizations. Learn more about effective suicide care and the important work that Four Pines Fund supports.