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About SPRC

Frequently Asked Questions About SPRC

  1. Who are we and what do we do?
  2. How are we funded?
  3. How are we staffed?
  4. What services do we offer?
  5. Whom do we serve?
  6. What are prevention networks?
  7. Why do we value prevention networks?
  8. Who are our partners?
  9. How do we differ from other national programs that include suicide prevention in their mission?

 

1.  Who are we and what do we do?

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), established in 2002, supports suicide prevention with the best of science, skills and practice to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP). (PDF, 206 pages) SPRC provides prevention support, training, and resource materials to strengthen suicide prevention networks and is the first federally funded center of its kind. SPRC fulfills Objective 4.8 of the NSSP, which calls for the development of "one or more training and technical resource centers to build capacity for States and communities to implement and evaluate suicide prevention programs ¹."

2.  How are we funded?

SPRC is a Congressionally mandated, federally funded activity, managed through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Operated by Health and Human Development (HHD) Programs at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in Newton, Massachusetts, SPRC is a highly collaborative effort between EDC and its partners.

3.  How are we staffed?

SPRC is staffed by experts in mental health, public health, communications, technology, education and training, as well as in program design, development and evaluation. Additionally, SPRC builds on the knowledge and expertise of several other national resource centers housed at EDC in the areas of mental health promotion, injury and violence prevention, and substance abuse prevention. These centers include Children's Safety Network, the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, and the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention. SPRC also benefits from the expertise of its many partners.

4.  What services do we offer?

  • Prevention support, delivered by Prevention Specialists, is designed to help states and communities increase their capacity to prevent suicide, and to inform the work of researchers and suicide prevention professionals with a registry of best practices for suicide prevention. Prevention Specialists, who are available for consultation, work proactively with coalitions at the national, tribal, state, territorial, regional, community, and interest group levels. The Prevention Specialists work closely with certain SAMHSA grantees to meet their technical assistance needs in planning and implementing youth suicide prevention strategies.

    Prevention Specialists are assigned by states within regions, and by topics.

    To contact a Prevention Specialist:
    • Email info@sprc.org
    • Call us toll-free at 1-877-GET-SPRC (877-438-7772)
    • Call us via TTY at 617-964-5448
    • Submit a web-based form Request for Assistance
    • Send a fax to 617-969-9186

  • Information support including an extensive library and website, literature searches and a variety of resource materials.
    • A website that acts as a centralized location for news, research, funding opportunities, upcoming training events and links to other websites.
    • An online library catalog (http://library.sprc.org) including a searchable database of the SPRC library collection containing a detailed record for each item with descriptions of and links to important information.
    • A weekly e-newsletter, The Spark, highlighting national and local suicide prevention efforts. Subscribe to The Weekly Spark.

  • The Best Practices Registry (BPR) For Suicide Prevention is a collaboration between SPRC and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The purpose of the BPR is to identify, review, and disseminate information about best practices that address specific objectives of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

  • Training for clinicians, other prevention professionals, crisis center workers, and community organizers to increase their knowledge and skills specific to suicide prevention. SPRC's training objectives focus on developing core suicide prevention curricula with topics ranging from understanding prevention, identifying what works and creating effective partnerships, to planning and marketing a successful awareness event. We offer training online and face-to-face.

5.  Whom do we serve?

Everyone! SPRC is available to answer questions and assist with all aspects of suicide prevention. With our partners, SPRC serves prevention networks at the national, tribal, state, territory, regional, community, and interest group levels. SPRC also reaches health and human service professionals, community leaders, survivors, advocates, researchers, prevention professionals, policymakers and interested individuals.

6.  What are prevention networks?

Prevention networks are coalitions of organizations and individuals working together to promote suicide prevention. They include statewide coalitions, community task forces, regional alliances or professional groups. SPRC works with and supports prevention networks to reduce suicides community by community.

7.  Why do we value prevention networks?

The best available evidence shows that a public health model and a coalition-based approach to planning are the most effective strategies for prevention. To that end, SPRC works to develop and strengthen prevention networks across the country.

8.  Who are our partners?

SPRC collaborates with other national organizations and suicide prevention initiatives to promote widespread implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Our partnerships may be formal or informal, but they all advance our work. Together with our partners, we create and review materials, produce and provide trainings, give presentations, and reach new audiences. You can view a complete list of our partners.

9.  How do we differ from other national programs that include suicide prevention in their mission?

As the only federally funded resource center for suicide prevention, SPRC focuses on increasing capacity to implement the NSSP across the United States. Through strong partnerships, SPRC can more effectively share knowledge and resources, stimulate innovation and change, and promote effective prevention strategies. SPRC works closely with states to build coalitions and develop and implement state plans. Many of our partners focus on research, survivor support, or awareness raising and we rely upon their efforts so that we may all jointly reduce stigma and prevent suicides.

¹ From the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action (2001), p. 70.