Suicide Prevention

In 2019, Nevada ranked 7th highest in the nation for rate of suicide deaths, per 100K residents (American Association of Suicidology, 2019). Both Washoe County and Nevada have consistently higher annual suicide death rates than the United States.

Demographic groups with the highest rates of suicide include individuals ages 65+, males, American Indians, LGBTQ, and military veterans. Many risk factors contribute to risk of suicide, including trauma, mental illness, financial or legal problems, substance use, isolation, a history of violence, other suicide incidence within a community, and easy access to lethal means (SAMHSA, CDC).

The Northern Nevada Public Health is implementing the Zero Suicide program in the Community and Clinical Health Services Division to establish and implement relevant policy and procedures for suicide screening and interventions. This is a multi-year project.

The Zero Suicide framework is “a system-wide, organizational commitment to safer suicide care in health and behavioral health care systems. The framework is based on the realization that suicidal individuals often fall through the cracks in a sometimes fragmented and distracted health care system. A systematic approach to quality improvement in these settings is both available and necessary.”

For more information on how to implement the Zero Suicide program in your organization, contact the Nevada State Opioid Response program:

Phone: 775-784-6265
Email: contact@nvopioidresponse.org

Suicide prevention support in Washoe County:

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. 

• 9-8-8: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine is here for you. HelpLine volunteers are working to answer questions, offer support and provide practical next steps. The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET.
  Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email helpline@nami.org.

• The NAMI Nevada Teen Peer Support Text Line offers stigma-free, non-crisis peer support to people aged 14 to 24 years old. Text 775-296-8336 from 12 pm to 10 pm, every day of the year.

• The Military Veteran’s Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for veterans and their loved ones. Either call 988 then press 1, text 838255, or visit Veteran's Crisis Line to chat online.