In the Forefront of Change
Forefront Su***de Prevention is a Center of Excellence at the University of Washington focused on reducing su***de by empowering individuals and communities to take sustainable action, championing systemic change, and restoring hope.
Individuals and Communities Take Sustainable Action to Prevent Su***de: Forefront has trained more than 30,000 health and school professionals and community members statewide in su***de awareness, intervention and response skills. Our LEARN ™ Su***de Prevention training is achieving widespread recognition coupling life-saving skills with additional emphasis on locking and limiting access to lethal means. Our Safer Homes, Su***de Aware campaign focuses on safe storage of medications and fi****ms, especially in communities with high su***de rates.
Championing Systemic Change: Our signature effort is collaborative advocacy with lawmakers, state agencies, and public and private partners. This strategic approach resulted in the passage of nine innovative state laws, a comprehensive su***de-prevention state plan, new prevention programs in health care organizations, and increased funding for crisis response resources. Our education and intervention programs in schools, colleges and universities, and consulting services to health care organizations are delivering life-saving training and critical systems change.
Restoring Hope: The Forefront Community Organizers volunteer program empowers people who have attempted su***de and those who have lost a loved one to su***de. The program builds resilience and restores hope through support networks that help end the isolation often associated with su***de. Newly bereaved individuals can contact our peer-to-peer Forefront Cares mentoring program. Mainstream media can access our tools to write resources-oriented stories that reduce stigma by portraying those with mental illness and thoughts of su***de in a sensitive and accurate light.
Forefront's origin was the tragic su***de of 40-year-old, Seattle-based attorney Matt Adler in 2011. After Matt Adler died, his widow, Jennifer Stuber, an associate professor in the UW School of Social Work, reached out to su***de prevention experts and learned that most health care professionals receive little or no training in how to assess and treat suicidal individuals. This lapse contributed to her husband's su***de and is a factor in many other tragic deaths.
Working with Washington State Representative Tina Orwall, Stuber built a statewide coalition of experts, individuals bereaved by su***de, and professionals from diverse disciplines to enact a mandatory training requirement in su***de prevention for health care professionals. Our affiliation with the University of Washington and a prestigious Advisory Council positions the organization as a leader in developing and disseminating innovative, evidence-based approaches to su***de prevention.
