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Oregon Health Authority

Suicide Prevention

Need Support Now?

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.

Working to Prevent Deaths From Suicide

Suicide is among the leading causes of death in Oregon. Suicide is also a major public health issue nationally. The Oregon Health Authority and partners across Oregon are working to prevent deaths from suicide.


Meet the Cross-Divisional OHA Suicide Prevention Team

While the OHA Suicide Prevention Team (SPT) sits across divisions, we have a "no wrong door" approach. Reach out to any state suicide prevention coordinator to ask questions and get information.

                

Meghan.jpgTaylor.jpgDeb.jpg Jill.jpg Shanda.jpg Roger.jpg 

Pictured left to right: Meghan Crane, Taylor Chambers, Deb Darmata, Jill Swiers Baker, Shanda Hochstetler, Roger Brubaker, 

"Need Support Now?"

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.

988 is available in American Sign Language online.

Personas que hablan español ahora pueden conectarse directamente con consejeros para crisis de habla hispana:


Veterans: Dial 988, Press 1
LGBTQ+: Dial 988, Press 3

Need Local Support? Find your Number

To update your county crisis line, contact IVPP.operations@oha.oregon.gov.



 

Learn about the strategic direction and active work

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is working with partners to build out the strategic pathways in Oregon Suicide Prevention Framework.

Learn more about youth priority work for 2025.

Starting in 2014, and with additional investment in 2019, the Oregon Legislature commissioned the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to:​

Oregon's Suicide Data Snapshot

Last updated: 9/16/2024


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released finalized data for 2022. The data show:​
  • An increase in age 24 and younger youth suicides in Oregon in 2022. This is the first increase since 2018. Preliminary data show that youth suicide rates will be similar in 2023.​
  • In 2022, 109 Oregon youths died by suicide, compared to 95 in 2021. Despite this increase between 2021 and 2022, the three-year trend for youth suicide is still trending down from the peak in 2018 when 129 youths died by suicide.​
  • Suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among people ages five to 24.​
  • There continue to be racial disparities in the data. Specifically, deaths by suicide for youth identified as white have decreased overall since 2018. However, the number of suicides for youth of other races and ethnicities remained similar to 2018 levels or increased.​
  • The national rate for youth suicide decreased in 2022. The 2022 data show that Oregon had the 12th highest youth suicide rate in the United States.​
  • Oregon's rate of youth suicide in 2022 was 14.2 per 100,000. In 2018, Oregon's rate was 16.9 per 100,000. This remains above the national average (10.0 per 100,000).​
  • Preliminary data for 2023* indicate that Oregon will not see an additional increase in youth suicide rates.​
  • There is more work to do to ensure our progress in past years is not lost, as the risk of youth suicide continues to be a concern in Oregon.​

Learn more about OHA and IVPP Data Sources and Review the Data Glossary


IVPP managed Data Dashboards


Injury Prevention Data Dashboard - Includes death, hospital, and emergency room discharge data for 11 injury categories.
Violent Death Data Dashboard - Includes firearm, suicide, and homicide data.
Suicide-Related Public Health Data Dashboard – Monthly updates on suicide-related fatalities and emergency department visits.
FASTER Dashboard - Firearm injury prevention.
 

Other OHA Data Dashboards


Student Health Survey Data Dashboard 2022 Student Health Survey results and more information on collection
Vital Statistics Preliminary Death Data Dashboard Monthly updates on preliminary deaths by type of death count and county
 


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​Sign up for the following email listservs to get up to date information on latest happenings and offerings:


​Black Youth Suicide Policy Coalition​​​​


Youth suicide rates have decreased in Oregon since 2018, but only for white Non-Hispanic youth. In every other race/ethnicity category, the number of suicides have stayed steady or increased.  The Black Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition (BYSPC) is a team of 12 young people, supported by adults and a part time staff person housed at REAP who are working on creating safety and wellness for Black, African, and African-American youth in Oregon.

The idea for the coalition was formed in 2023 at the country’s first-ever Black Youth Suicide Policy Academy, held by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).​ 

To get involved, or to hear more about the work of the Black Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition, contact byspc@reapusa.org​.

The Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide

The purpose of the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide is to reduce youth suicides in the state of Oregon. The Oregon Hea​​lth Authority​ appoints Alliance members, who meet quarterly to:​
  • ​Develop a public policy agenda for suicide interven​tion and prevention across agencies, systems and communities.
  • Advise on the development of the Youth Suicide ​Intervention and Prevention Plan (YSIPP).
  • Represent a broad range of subject matter experts including youth, suicide attempt survivors and loss survivors.
Staffed by the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, the Alliance also has six standing committees and two advisory workgroups:
  • LGBTQ+ Advisory Group
  • Equity Advisory Workgroup
    • The Equity Advisory has two sub-groups that meet outside of the larger Advisory Group: the BIPOC Caucus and the White Accountability and Learning Community (WALC). This advisory and the two sub-groups are geared for Alliance members and affiliates.

​​​​Learn more about and join an upcoming meeting of the Statewide Coalition – the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide or Find your local coalition.​







​OHA supports the Big River Trainings suite of programming (Programs available in English and Spanish)​

(for meeting Requirements of ORS 675.140, 675.597, 675.805, 676.860, & 676.863)​




​Portland Area Trainings hosted by Get Trained to Help​ – a Collaborative training effort brought to you by Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties.


Senate Bill 561 (2015) requires Local Mental Health Authorities (LMHAs) as defined in ORS 430.630 to do the following when suicides occur in youth (age 24 years or younger):​

Work with partners to develop plans for information-sharing and response;​

Prepare communities to respond in a way that reduces the risk of more suicide (contagion) among friends, loved ones or peers left behind after the death; and ​

Report deaths to OHA within 7 days of death. OHA can  then provide technical assistance on best practices in responding to suicides and reducing contagion risks.

Resources


​OHA PHD IVPP Managed Grants​


  • SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith (Sept. 30, 2024- Sept. 29, 2029)​​
  • SAMHSA Zero Suicide in Health Systems (2021 – 2025)​
  • CDC Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Grant (Sept. 15, 2023 – Sept. 14, 2028)

OHA BHD CFBH Managed Grants​


  • SAMHSA Mental Health Expansion Block Grant​
  • National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, Transformative Transfer Initiative (TTI) Grant​





For a brief history and summary of suicide prevention laws in Oregon, please visit the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide’s legislative summary page.​