Suicide prevention is an important priority within New York State. In July, 2014, the Suicide Prevention Office of OMH created the Program for Suicide Prevention-Treatment, Intervention and Evaluation (SP-TIE), within the Center for Practice Innovations at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, to select and oversee suicide prevention training, its implementation and evaluation in the State.
With the creation of this program, trainings are geared towards helping the State promote and fully implement the Zero Suicide Model developed by The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. In order to achieve zero-suicide in New York State, SP-TIE’s mission includes the review and determination of which suicide prevention trainings should be utilized in the State. SP-TIE efforts also include the development and implementation of a strategy for training and resource dissemination, and determination of the frequency of training and to whom training should be directed.
The SP-TIE initiative includes training for non-clinician gatekeepers as well as mental health clinicians so that community partners and front line clinicians are trained in how to identify and speak with suicidal individuals. Clinicians are trained in evidence based practices for suicide risk assessment, suicide prevention interventions, as well as follow up support and monitoring.
SP-TIE coordinates the development of evaluation tools, and the collection and analysis of data to evaluate the impact, as well as the type and format, of the trainings.