Proposed Challenge for 2025
Nebraska’s Suicide Prevention Coalition reviewed and discussed the insights and recommendations from summit breakout group participants. The coalition intends to incorporate these goals into ongoing prevention efforts.
Building on the themes identified during the 2024 summit, the coalition recognizes several key challenges for 2025, including:
Expand Prevention Programs
• Establish 10 new Hope Squads in rural Nebraska schools to promote peer-led suicide prevention and support efforts.
• Challenge QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) and Mental Health First Aid trainers to each certify at least 30 individuals in 2025, increasing the reach of mental health education.
• Launch a statewide social media campaign targeting high-risk groups, with a focus on reducing stigma, promoting lethal means safety, and addressing other upstream protective factors.
• Enhance efforts to improve and measure protective factors at individual, community, and societal levels to reduce suicide risk.
Strengthen Collaboration
• Develop and share adaptable, action-oriented agendas for prevention coalitions to focus on effective suicide prevention and postvention practices.
• Foster inclusivity by ensuring that schools, hospitals, faith-based organizations, peer groups, behavioral health providers, public health districts, and other stakeholders are actively represented in prevention coalitions.
• Distribute 5,000 gun safety devices (e.g., lockboxes) and/or medication disposal kits through partnerships with community organizations to promote safe storage practices.
Promote Lethal Means Safety and Security
• Promote lethal means safety through coordinated campaigns featuring tools, educational materials, and trainings such as CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) and CALM Conversations, aimed at reducing access to lethal means in crisis situations.
Increase Awareness of Nebraska Organizations to the 988
Lifeline
• Make 200 organizations statewide aware of 988 toolkits and promotional materials and educate them on where to access or order these materials.