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Office of Suicide Prevention

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or call your local 24-hour mental health crisis line.

Si usted o alguien que usted conoce esta en una crisis por favor llame a la Red para la Prevención del Suicidio al 1-888-628-9454 o contacte la línea de crisis local la 24 horas haga clic aquí.

California Strategic plan on suicide prevention

The California Strategic Plan on Suicide Prevention: Every Californian is Part of the Solution and an Executive Summary of the Plan are now available for download. Hard copies of these documents, as well as accessible versions, are available by contacting SuicidePrevention@dmh.ca.gov.

The Plan serves as a blueprint for action at the state and local levels to reduce suicide and its tragic consequences. It is built upon the vision that a full range of strategies – from prevention and early intervention to treatment and postvention – should be implemented that appropriately targets Californians of all ages and diverse backgrounds. While many challenges lie ahead in carrying out this work, tremendous opportunities also exist. Contact us to learn more about suicide prevention in California.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or would like more information about how to know if someone is suicidal and how to help, click here or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

News and Updates

The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists will present "A Cultural Perspective: Working with the Military and Their Families" in Sacramento on September 26. The workshop is intended to assist clinicians to better understand military culture, and will include a look at the difference branches of service, the components that make up the branches, the language, rituals, hierarchies and laws that define the military as its own culture. For more information about this workshop and to register, http://www.camft.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ConferenceWorkshops/WorkingwiththeMilitary/default.htm

General Information

If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). There is help.

If you have lost someone to suicide, you are not alone. It is estimated that for every suicide there are 6 survivors. Click here to view resources for survivors and to locate a survivor support group in your area.

Get Involved

On average, over the last 11 years (1997-2007), nearly 3,300 Californians died by suicide annually. Suicide is a preventable tragedy. Suicide is a preventable tragedy. Click here to learn how you can help in your community. You can also find out more about suicide prevention in California by contacting the Office of Suicide Prevention.

Fact Sheets

DMH Suicide Prevention Fact Sheet
For more fact sheets based on national data, see:
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
American Association of Suicidology
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Suicide Prevention Page
National Institute of Mental Health Suicide Prevention Page

inormation notices

DMH Information Notice 08-25, Assignment of Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Funds for PEI Statewide Projects has been released.

media resources and guidelines

Reporting on Suicide: Recommendations for the Media - An evidence-based report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, Office of the Surgeon General, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Association of Suicidology, and Annenberg Public Policy Center. The entire report and supporting documents are available here.

At a Glance: Safe Reporting on Suicide. This two-page guide for reporters and editors provides a list of recommendations on how to report on suicide while minimizing the risk of contributing to "copycat" suicides. In addition to offering guidelines (based upon Reporting on the Media, below), this publication includes additional resources on suicide and suicide prevention for reporters, editors, and others in the media.

Relationship between the Economy, Unemployment and Suicide
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has provided talking points on the relationship between the economy, unemployment and suicide. The talking points summarize what is known about these complex relationships and offers suggestions for framing this issue with news media.

American Association of Suicidology Statement on the Economy and Suicide

other Resources

Suicide Prevention Resource Center – A comprehensive online resource that includes a best practices registry, online trainings, and other resources to educate communities and assist states and communities in building a system of suicide prevention.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – A toll-free Suicide Prevention hotline that operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week through a network of over 125 crisis centers nationally. The Lifeline also offers Spanish language services and services targeted for veterans and their families.
American Association of Suicidology– Includes data and statistics, current research, training and conferences, and information for survivors of suicide and suicide loss.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Information about SAMHSA’s suicide prevention initiative including the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention program’s campus based grants and grants to state and tribal entities.
Other Resources to Educate Communities

Data, Statistics, and reports

California Department of Public Health - Office of Health Information and Research (OHIR) produces a variety of reports and data tables on the health and well-being of Californians, including the County Health Status Profiles. This annual report presents data about causes of mortality in California and its counties and includes a section on suicide data (see page 33 of the 2009 County Health Status Profiles report). OHIR also produces larger reports on leading causes of death, including suicide. The most recently updated suicide deaths report can be located by navigating to the Office of Health Information and Research Reports. Use the A-Z index to find the report you are interested in. Additionally, the Center for Health Statistics Vital Statistics Query System (VSQS) provides an interactive internet interface to obtain summaries and statistical reports from California's birth and death vital statistics databases.

California Department of Public Health – Epidemiology and Prevention for Injury Control Branch - EPICenter (California Injury Data Online) provides an interactive database on California injuries by year, cause (or advanced cause using ICD9 or 10 codes), by county (or statewide), age and gender.

California's Violent Death Reporting System (CalVDRS) - California is one of 17 states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). California is currently implementing NVDRS in four counties. The CDC released a Surveillance Summary in the March 20, 2009 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance for Violent Deaths – National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2006. Additionally, a report was recently released by the State Violent Death Reporting System Workgroup: Sanford C and Hedegaard H (editors). Deaths from Violence: A Look at 17 States -- Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System. December 2008.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) is an interactive database system that provides customized reports of national and state level injury-related data.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics FastStats Homepage provides national statistical information and other data source links which may help guide actions and policies to improve knowledge about suicide and self-inflected injury.

Contact the Office of Suicide Prevention