History - ACTIVITIES LEADING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SPAN IDAHO

Brief Report on the Activities of the Idaho Adolescent Suicide Prevention Team AY 2001-2002

SPAN Idaho representatives Susan Orme, Kim Kane, Bob Stacy, Jennifer Dickey and Kirby Orme with the Idaho Remembrance Quilt at 2006 SPAN USA walk.

Members:

• Cynthia Clark: Chairperson
• Peter Wollheim
• John Hanks

Vision of the Idaho Adolescent Suicide Prevention Team:

• Provide active community leadership to prevent suicide in Idaho
• Mission of the Idaho Adolescent Suicide Prevention Team
• Awareness (community) and education
• Leadership and collaboration
• Intervention and implementation
• Vital resources (Financial and Human)
• Evaluation and research

Accomplishments:

1. Conduced a Re-visioning and Strategic Planning Session to clarify our purpose and goals (decision to incorporate as SPAN Idaho and continue our work to assist in the development of a Statewide Suicide Prevention Plan for Idaho).
2. Partnered with Idaho Suicide and Prevention Hotline to present Idaho's inaugural Statewide Suicide Prevention Symposium...well attended by myriad disciplines with excellent and useful evaluation.
3. Completed a research study on Adolescent Suicidal Behavior (attempts and completions) in southwest Idaho. The findings from this study submitted for publication AY 2002-2003.
4. Received national attention from the Surgeon General's Office for our efforts to study and prevent suicide in Idaho.
5. Received federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services to attend the "Best Practices" Conference for Suicide Prevention in Portland, Oregon.
6. Performed a comprehensive cost analysis to determine direct and indirect costs associated with suicide in Idaho. This data will be prepared for publication.
7. Hosted a successful Planning Breakfast January 2002 to provide a forum for key individuals across the state to discuss Idaho's Suicide Prevention Plan.
8. Continued to pursue funding for our ongoing and future initiatives.
   

THE IDAHO CHAPTER OF SPAN WAS ORGANIZED IN JUNE 2002 AND INCORPORATED IN JULY 2002.

In 2002, this small group of professionals working with the Adolescent Suicide Task Force and Suicide Hotline, wishing to establish a formal organization, decided to affiliate with the national network, SPAN USA. An official board was formed, bylaws and articles of incorporation written and SPAN Idaho became the first SPAN USA affiliate and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. SPAN Idaho was on its way.
In 2003, SPAN Idaho established partnerships and assisted in developing funding options for the development of the State Plan. In 2004, Idaho’s Suicide Prevention Plan was completed and formally released at the November SPAN conference. Also in 2004, SPAN Idaho hired its first staff members to begin implementation of the plan. Membership also began to grow. In 2005, SPAN Idaho continued implementation of the state plan and held its fifth successful annual suicide prevention conference.

TIMELINE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

SPAN Idaho, in conjunction with those involved with the Idaho Suicide Hotline, has accomplished several things in the past few years:

Suicide: Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge Symposium. Held at Boise State University November 2001, with more than 300 people attending. This was the first symposium to focus on suicide and suicide prevention in Idaho. Featured speakers and presenters were nationally recognized in the field of suicide prevention, including Col. David Litts, Special Assistant on Suicide Prevention for the U.S. Surgeon General.

Chart review of adolescent and young adult patients with suicidal behavior presenting to the Emergency Room in Ada and Canyon Counties. This study was developed in conjunction with the BSU Nursing Department, and presented at the 2001 Symposium. The review looked at charts of those under 25 years of age presenting to the Emergency Departments of hospitals in Ada and Canyon Counties with suicidal and self-harming behavior during 2000. Nearly 200 charts were reviewed. This provided the first local and regional research on suicide attempts in southwest Idaho.

Legislative Breakfast, January 2002. Several legislators attended an informational breakfast outlining the problem of suicide in Idaho, and the work underway to begin to address it.

Cost analysis of youth suicide in Idaho. This study was completed in the spring of 2002 in conjunction with the BSU Nursing Department. With data based on actual cases, this study provides valuable information on the cost of completed and attempted suicide in Idaho. It will be a valuable resource for the rest of the country as well, as information on the cost of suicide is very limited in the United States. In 2000 the cost of suicide and suicide attempts for those less than 25 years of age is staggering… $3,770,513 in direct costs, and more than $81,832,850 in indirect costs. These are conservative estimates.

Formal incorporation as SPAN Idaho. Idaho becomes the first state to organize and incorporate into a state chapter of SPAN USA in June 2002.

Formal incorporation as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in July of 2002.

Suicide Prevention Planning Symposium. Held in Sun Valley in November 2002, this Symposium involved 63 participants from all regions of the state. Speakers included highly prominent national figures from the U.S. Surgeon General's Office, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The Conference was co-sponsored by Idaho Suicide Hotline and received funding from a variety of public and private sources including major funding from the Center for Disease Control, The Generation of the Child and First Lady Patricia Kempthorne, and the Wettinger Foundation. At this Symposium the formal work of developing a statewide Suicide Prevention Plan was begun, and the foundation laid for Regional Leadership.

Participated in the Northwest Regional Gathering to address the issue of Adolescent Suicide held in Seattle. Two of our Board Members attended this meeting in January 2003 as part of the Idaho delegation. It provided an excellent springboard to facilitate collaboration within the public and private sector.

Working partnership with legislative and government officials. Assisted in the process of developing funding options to assist in the development of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Plan in spring 2003.

Partnered with Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in the development of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Plan. SPAN Idaho was a significant catalyst in the development of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Plan. During development the plan underwent public comment in each region of the State, and was formally released at the SPAN Idaho Conference in November 2003.

Establishment of Regional Chapters. One key element in implementing the state plan is creating an infrastructure that will maintain the continued relevance of the plan, and allow for the distribution of prevention resources throughout the entire state. SPAN Idaho is creating this structure through the establishment of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Council, and through the development of regional SPAN Idaho Chapters. As of June 2008, Chapters are active in five of the seven Health and Welfare regions; regions 1, 2, 5 and 7.

Suicide Prevention Conferences. SPAN Idaho has continued to hold successful annual conferences in Boise in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2007, the SPAN Idaho regional chapters held three conference throughout the state as a beginning to a new alternating annual conference schedule.

Suicide Prevention Tool Kit. Another significant element in achieving the goals of the state plan is the development and distribution of a Suicide Prevention Tool Kit. The Suicide Prevention Tool Kit was completed and distributed in the summer of 2006.

Idaho Council on Suicide Prevention. In March of 2006, after a year and half of hard work and with the unwavering assistance of Idaho’s First Lady, Patricia Kempthorne and Representative Kathie Garrett, SPAN Idaho shepparded the establishment of the Idaho Council on Suicide Prevention by Executive Order. Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed the Executive Order in March of 2006. The Council was established for the purposes of providing oversight for the implementation of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Plan, ensuring the continued relevance of the State Plan, being proponents of suicide prevention in Idaho and preparing an annual report for the Governor and State Legislature. Later in 2006, Governor Jim Risch signed a revised the Executive Order increasing the Council membership by two members. Governor Risch appointed members to the Council in October of 2006 including co-chairs Kathie Garrett and Peter Wollheim.

In November 2006, the Council held its first full meeting where it reviewed the plan, divided into four sub committees corresponding to the four goals of the State Plan and formed an Executive Committee. Throughout 2007, the sub committee chairs and the Executive Committee met several times. The full Council met again in May of 2007. In November 2007, the full Council met again where it compiled the information for the annual report. The report was completed in December of 2007 and presented to the Governor’s Office at that time. The report was presented to the Idaho State Senate Health and Welfare Committee in January 2008. The full Council met again in May 2008 to review and discuss the activities surrounding the recommendations made in the annual report. Their next meeting is planned for September 2008.

Clergy Trainings. In 2007, SPAN Idaho conducted suicide prevention training for clergy throughout Idaho, with support from a grant through Idaho State University’s Institute of Rural Health from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration under the US Department of Health and Human Services. These trainings were held in the spring in eight locations: Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, McCall, Fruitland and Boise. These trainings were met with a great deal of enthusiasm and clearly expressed need for the information. Over 200 participants were trained, including mostly clergy members and a small number of law enforcement and youth services professionals.

In 2008, SPAN is working on several projects to be completed this year including a post-vention curriculum, an Idaho Suicide Prevention Contacts Guide and our 8th Annual Suicide Prevention Conference. Look for these later in 2008.

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