Challenge
Persons impacted by trauma are at greater risk for suicidal thinking and behaviors. In addition, interventions and approaches to address mental and behavioral health issues too often focus on health care providers, leaving out key community stakeholders and champions.
In response, EDC is partnering with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health on an innovative collaborative initiative called Communities of Care, which engages community organizations, schools, government and public safety agencies, and faith communities in suicide prevention. Funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of South Carolina, the initiative supports communities in applying trauma-informed approaches to strengthen the safety net for South Carolinians across the 10 counties with the highest suicide rates in the state.
Key Activities
EDC’s work focuses on the following:
- Promote thought leadership, raise awareness, and build skills to improve communities’ use of comprehensive trauma-informed approaches to suicide prevention
- Design customized and context-specific needs assessment and work plan tools to guide organizations in implementing and sustaining the initiative
- Provide trainings and train-the-trainer workshops on trauma-informed approaches and suicide prevention for community, education, faith-based, and government leaders
- Develop and co-lead learning collaboratives on key topics, including applying trauma-specific skills when working with adolescents
Impact
- Train 180 community stakeholders in trauma-informed suicide prevention approaches
- Reach at least 20,000 community members across 10 counties in South Carolina
- Train, consult, or provide support to at least 100 community-based organizations in trauma-informed suicide prevention approaches and processes
Learn More
EDC Staff
