About the Academy

• All organizations accepted by Lake County are required to register their implementation team through this application portal.
• Registration closes on Friday, March 25th at 6:00 pm EST.
• Sponsored by the Lake County ADAMHS

Pre-Academy Event

Tuesday, March 29, 1 pm EST

An overview of the Zero Suicide framework, an introduction to the research behind the framework and the outcomes to be expected when Zero Suicide is implemented.

Eligibility

Only Lake County health systems (mental, physical, behavioral) are eligible. Applicants are to come with a team of 4 individuals, including the person identified as the lead for the system's Zero Suicide initiative. All organizations wishing to be considered for the Zero Suicide Academy will submit the application by the due date with all required application materials. Teams attending with more than 6 team members should register as 2 teams and must have the approval of Sandra Tenkku at Lake County ADAMHS.

Description

The Zero Suicide Academy is a two-day training for senior leaders of health and behavioral health care organizations that seek to dramatically reduce suicides among patients in their care. Using the Zero Suicide framework, participants learn how to incorporate best and promising practices into their organizations and processes to improve care and safety for individuals at risk. Zero Suicide faculty provide both interactive presentations and small group sessions, collaborating with participants to develop organization-specific action plans.

Learn more

Objectives

The objectives of the Zero Suicide Academy are to:

• Provide organizations interested in adopting a Zero Suicide approach with the skills and information necessary to launch their effort;
• Create collaborative links between the organizations launching these initiatives in order to provide mentorship and support so that the perspectives, knowledge, and skills of each inform the work of the others; and
• Aid in developing implementation plans for the Zero Suicide initiatives at each participating organization.

The Zero Suicide Academy is presented by Zero Suicide Institute, a project of Education Development Center.

Zero Suicide Framework

The Zero Suicide framework aims to improve care and outcomes for individuals at risk of suicide seen in health care systems. To assist health and behavioral health care organizations in developing and implementing a Zero Suicide approach, https://zerosuicide.edc.org/toolkit offers an evolving online Toolkit.

Zero Suicide is a comprehensive approach, which includes the following elements:

1.    Lead system-wide culture change committed to reducing suicides
2.    Train a competent, confident, and caring workforce
3.    Identify individuals with suicide risk via comprehensive screening and assessment
4.    Engage all individuals at-risk of suicide using a suicide care management plan
5.    Treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors using evidence-based treatments
6.    Transition individuals through care with warm hand-offs and supportive contacts
7.    Improve policies and procedures through continuous quality improvement

Selection Criteria

Accepted teams are identified by Lake County ADAMHS Board. All organizations accepted by Lake County are required to register their implementation team through this application portal.

How to Apply

Participant Eligibility

Only Lake County health systems (mental, physical, behavioral) are eligible. Applicants are to come with a team of 4 individuals, including the person identified as the lead for the system's Zero Suicide initiative. All organizations wishing to be considered for the Zero Suicide Academy will submit the application by the due date with all required application materials. Teams attending with more than 6 team members should register as 2 teams and must have the approval of Sandra Tenkku at Lake County ADAMHS.

Application Instructions

The Zero Suicide Academy application consists of:

1. The lead applicant will receive all correspondence and must be one of the team members.
2. A letter of commitment written by the organization's CEO/Senior Executive Leader. The CEO/Senior Executive Leader should review and approve the submission and agree to the strategy proposed. Leadership letters of commitment to the Zero Suicide model created for other purposes are acceptable so long as they are dated within the prior 6 months.
3. A narrative that, in two to four pages, responds to the following: 
   • Briefly describe the members of your team and the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience they bring to the Zero Suicide Academy.
   • What are your team’s goals for participating in the Zero Suicide Academy and what does the team hope to learn during the training? Describe how you would like to apply Zero Suicide in your organization. 
   • What successes and/or challenges have you had with systems change in your organization? Consider other collaborative efforts within your team and/or other quality improvement programs in your organization.
4. A Zero Suicide Organizational Self-Study is to be completed by your implementation team members, along with your application.

Organizational Self Study

A Zero Suicide Organizational Self-Study is to be completed by your implementation team members, along with your application. We offer two versions of the Organizational Self-Study: the General Organizational Self-Study and the Inpatient Organizational Self-Study. Organizations can choose to take one or both available Self-Studies.

To access these resources, you will need to create an account on the Zero Suicide website.

Go to Organizational Self-Stud