November 15, 2024
In a state where the suicide rate is nearly double the national average, St. Peter’s Health is taking a bold step to help save lives. St. Peter’s is proud to announce that it has joined the Zero Suicide Institute, a national effort to prevent suicide thanks to a five-year $1.9M grant awarded to the St. Peter’s Health Foundation by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Suicide is a critical public health issue in Montana, which consistently ranks as having the highest suicide rates in the nation. According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), the state’s suicide rate is nearly double the national average, with approximately 28 deaths per 100,000 residents. Several factors contribute to Montana’s high suicide rates, including geographic isolation, limited access to mental health care, and economic challenges. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that includes increasing awareness and screening, enhancing mental health services, and providing robust support systems for those at risk.
According to St. Peter’s Health Senior Director of Population Health, Amy Emmert, RN, Zero Suicide is an organization-wide initiative built on the understanding that everyone can participate in suicide prevention. “It is a commitment to patient safety and comprehensive suicide care that uses a standardized approach throughout St. Peter’s to identify, treat, and support individuals at risk for suicide,” says Emmert. “We are going to elevate the way we respond to suicide and suicidal ideation in our community.”
For St. Peter’s, embracing Zero Suicide means a fundamental shift in how mental health and suicide prevention are approached and treated across the continuum of care. To kick-start this transformative journey, last spring St. Peter’s performed a Zero Suicide Organizational Self-Study to identify current practices, followed by a Zero Suicide Workforce Survey, allowing every staff member to participate and gauge their ability and confidence in caring for individuals at risk for suicide.
Adoption efforts are being spearheaded by a diverse team of caregivers from across the organization called the Behavioral Health Service Line Workgroup. It is comprised of representatives from various crucial patient care areas including the Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit, Mobile Crisis Response, Emergency Department, Risk Management, Primary Care, Population Health, Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Quality Department, and the Inpatient Medical Unit.
Armed with the findings from both assessments, St. Peter’s has now developed a strategy to enhance suicide care under each framework element of the Zero Suicide model. For example, every new employee at St. Peter’s, no matter their role, now receives Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training during their first week on the job. This training helps staff feel comfortable and confident when interacting with suicidal individuals, ensuring they feel understood and encouraged to keep seeking help.
Beyond QPR Training, Emmert says more comprehensive training in suicide care is given to clinical team members. The framework has also outlined how St. Peter’s patients are screened for suicide and what response and services are provided if they are identified as at risk for suicide. In addition, last month, St. Peter’s announced they received a $288,000 grant from Helmsley the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to offer a cutting-edge, proven treatment for patients struggling with severe depression called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). St. Peter’s Psychiatrist Dr. Brigid Crowley says she looks forward to having this option to treat patients who have struggled to respond conventional therapies for major depression and other conditions.
St. Peter’s Health champions Mechille and Pete Johnson also recently created a mental health solutions endowed fund through the St. Peter’s Health Foundation to help improve the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients living with mental and behavioral health disease and disorders.
"As Helena’s community hospital, our priority is to meet the needs of those we serve, and improving access to mental health care has been at the top of our community’s list for many years,” says St. Peter’s Health Chief Executive Officer Wade Johnson. "I’m proud of our team’s passion and willingness to help address this complex and unprecedented health issue through the work they do every day.”
This initiative will provide critical support to those in need, ensuring that no one in our community has to face mental health challenges alone.