Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for a fiscal year (FY) 2015 Suicide Prevention Resource Center grant. The purpose of this program is to build national capacity for preventing suicide by providing technical assistance, training, and resources to assist states, tribes, organizations, SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith and other SAMHSA grantees, and individuals to develop suicide prevention strategies (including programs, interventions, and policies) that advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP), with the overall goal of reducing suicides and suicidal behaviors in the nation. This work includes support of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), and working to advance high-impact objectives of the NSSP. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is the nation’s only technical assistance center whose mission is to advance the NSSP, a roadmap for action that if fully implemented would significantly reduce the number of suicide attempts and deaths within this country. Full implementation of the NSSP requires multiple approaches at multiple levels among multiple entities. Effective approaches require a comprehensive, sustained, data-drive strategy; an active, effective community component as well as an active, effective, clinical systems approach; and community systems that include a wide range of public and private partners. SPRC’s work must target approaches, systems, and entities with the highest potential to prevent suicidal crises and save the most lives. All of SPRC’s efforts are driven by the ultimate goal of reducing suicide attempts and deaths in this country. The SPRC grant closely aligns with SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative on Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness. It also seeks to address behavioral health disparities among racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minorities by encouraging the implementation of strategies to decrease the differences in access, service use, and outcomes among the racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minority populations served. (See PART II: Appendix G – Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities.) Consistent with statutory authority, the SPRC also focuses on youth suicide prevention TA and training for the GLS program. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center grant is authorized under Section 520A and 520C of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD. This statutory authority requires SPRC to be awarded as a competitive award.