Nearing the end of the five-year implementation of the Suicide in Wisconsin: Impact and Response Report (2020), Mental Health America of Wisconsin staff developed a process to update the state plan. In collaboration with partners in PSW and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), work groups were convened to bring together expert shareholders to identify goals, objectives, action steps, and key resources to be included in the plan.

Work groups were organized according to the topics of Clinical Care, Data and Evaluation, Lethal Means Safety, Peer Services, Postvention, Training and Education, and Youth, and included many members of the PSW Steering Committee and local coalitions. A Lived Experience Advisory Committee was convened for people with lived experience of suicidality and/or suicide loss to give input on the development of the plan, either through active participation in work group meetings or through the editing process.

See Appendix 2 for a full list of contributors to the plan. We are deeply appreciative of our partners and their input!

Additionally, we would like to acknowledge partners in the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, who provided consultation, advice, and resources that inspired our approach. Suicide prevention leaders near and far helped us arrive at the publication of this state plan!

Plan Implementation

Wisconsin’s Suicide Prevention Plan is a guide to inform work to reduce suicide in our state. The impact of this plan depends on how it is put into practice, and we believe everyone can play a role in preventing suicide. Any community member, healthcare provider, educator, advocate, researcher, policymaker, business, or organization can play a vital role in the success of this plan.

For example:

• Members of faith communities can initiate outreach and opportunities for social connection with their neighbors.
• Coalitions can help coordinate secure storage programs in their community.
• Journalists and mass media workers can use best practices to reduce stigma when reporting suicide.
• Healthcare systems can establish care pathways for those at risk of suicide.
• Advocates can take inspiration and recommendations from this plan to work towards policy change at the organizational, local, state, and federal levels.

This plan is a call to action based upon the best available evidence and the perspectives of expert shareholders in our state, many of whom have built up significant momentum towards the goals in the 2020 state plan. Some goals are drawn from the recently released National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2024), aligning with the work of national leaders.

We also acknowledge that the field of suicide prevention is constantly evolving, and the coming years will surely see the emergence of new data and best practices. We must be flexible, dynamic, and open to new ideas. The creation of additional resources will be necessary to supplement the state plan, such as evaluation plans, or action plans specific to certain communities (i.e., rural populations; Native American communities; LGBTQ+ youth, etc.). We look forward to seeing how Wisconsin communities and leaders put the plan into motion!