Goal: Work in collaboration with existing organizations to standardize and enhance capacity for investigating and reporting suicide deaths.

A Suicide Death Review Team (SDRT) is a group of local multi-disciplinary organizational representatives who review individual suicide deaths using all data and information available on the factors and circumstances leading up to the death. The goal of the review is to identify gaps and potential opportunities for improved prevention efforts on the local level.

Objective: Expand the number of active suicide death review teams across the state to strengthen prevention efforts.

Action Steps:

1. Establish a partnership with the medical examiner’s or coroner’s office to obtain access to case data.

2. Utilize suicide and self-harm data dashboards to guide selection of cases to review and analyze big picture trends in suicide.

3. Collect next of kin interviews with someone close to the decedent to gather further insight about the circumstances surrounding the death to benefit the investigation.

4. Convene a multi-disciplinary team to participate in suicide death reviews. Medical examiners, public health, law enforcement, crisis responders, behavioral health providers, government partners, and people with suicide-centered lived experience are essential partners.

5. Send SDRT meeting agendas and all relevant information to brief partners on the contents of the review at least two weeks before the meeting.

6. Generate recommendations based on trends and establish action steps to advance them. Regularly review progress with the SDRT.

7. Share best practices to support the development of SDRTs in communities of practice.

A central, statewide database for local SDRT findings would facilitate information sharing and support local and state suicide prevention organizations in refining their prevention efforts. In Wisconsin, similar infrastructure exists for overdose and child death review.