DATE: September 10, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Dawan Utecht, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Adoption of Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan and Suicide Risk
Assessment Tool for Fresno County
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Adopt the Fresno County Community-Based Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan as the suicide prevention strategic plan for Fresno County; and
2. Adopt the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale as the recommended suicide risk assessment tool for Fresno County.
REPORT
Approval of the first recommended action will provide the County with a continued strategic framework to collaboratively approach, prevent, and respond to suicide. Approval of the second recommended action will provide a standardized tool for screening suicide risk in Fresno County. The recommended actions will help improve and enhance the continuity of care for those individuals who may be at risk of suicide or having suicidal ideation.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose not to adopt the strategic plan and/or risk assessment tool, which may negatively impact county-wide suicide prevention efforts and services delivered to individuals who may be at risk of suicide.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
DISCUSSION:
On September 22, 2015, the Board approved Fresno County's MHSA 3-Year Expenditure Plan which includes a Suicide Prevention/Stigma Reduction plan that was identified as a needed service through the MHSA community planning process. In January 2017, the Department of Behavioral Health contracted with three suicide prevention consultants through Purchasing Agreement P-17-223-T to develop a comprehensive, community-based, strategic suicide prevention and stigma reduction plan for Fresno County. On March 6, 2018, your Board approved an amendment to ensure the delivery of a completed suicide prevention plan for Fresno County. The strategic plan was finalized in September 2018...
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