Oxford 2014

Co-hosted with Dr. Jerry Reed & EDC, Inc

 

Dutch psychiatrist Jan Mokkenstorm issued a challenge that became the shared declaration for the first international gathering of organizations committed to Zero Suicide in Health Care, who met along with others at the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) conference in Oxford UK.

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While the number of attendees promoting Zero Suicide was seemingly small, the organizations they represent employ thousands around the world. Centerstone, where Becky Stoll has led the development of a Zero Suicide protocol for several years, is the largest Community Mental Health Center in the US with nearly 3,000 employees across four states. GGZinGeest has 1,600 employees and a significant online presence in addition to its full continuum of behavioral health direct care, and has trained its staff in engagement and “good contact” to support those at risk for several years as well. Steve Duffy has traveled to see the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, Magellan Health in Phoenix, Arizona, and Nav Kapur’s team in Manchester, United Kingdom, as his team has been evaluating a Zero Suicide design for Hillmorton Hospital and its array of mental health programs.

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Zero Suicide advocates joined a group of 25 other participants hailing from the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Sweden, led by Julie Kerry and Aarti Chapman from NHS England and Professor Keith Hawton, internationally renowned suicide prevention leader from the University of Oxford. The IIMHL program included presentations on a variety of suicide prevention topics, from means restriction to post-vention approaches, and ample time and open spaces provided opportunities for participants to network, share, and collaborate.

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