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Suicide Prevention Competencies for Faith Leaders: Supporting Life Before, During, and After a Suicidal Crisis

A Communications Resource for Promoting the Competencies

Research indicates people who are struggling with thoughts of suicide are increasingly turning to faith leaders for help and support, even before they will seek care from mental health professionals. Faith leaders play a key role in suicide prevention and postvention care. To better equip leaders of all faiths with life-saving skills to prevent suicide, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) and its Faith Communities Task Force, recently released the resrouce Suicide Prevention Competencies for Faith Leaders: Supporting Life Before, During, and After a Suicidal Crisis.

This new resource aims to provide faith leaders with feasible, practical, research-based actions they can adopt immediately to help save lives and restore hope in faith communities nationwide. The competencies, informed by leaders from diverse faith communities and experts in the suicide prevention field, help to integrate and coordinate suicide prevention across sectors and settings, like faith-based organizations and places of worship, a goal of the Action Alliance’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.