National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide Toolkit

Abstract

The Comprehensive Framework for Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention is a central resource in the larger work done by the National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide (the Consortium). A project of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Consortium was formed in October 2018 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in partnership with Education Development Center (EDC) and support from the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), to raise awareness of and prevent suicide among police officers. Through the Consortium, five task force groups were formed to identify recommendations and considerations for the policing profession as it relates to suicide prevention efforts in an agency or department: messaging, data and research, organization and system change, peer support, and family support. A common theme that emerged through discussions of the Consortium, both in-person and virtual, was the need for law enforcement agencies to have information addressing various components of suicide prevention. This Comprehensive Framework for Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention resource is a guide for a police agency to implement strategic, holistic, and intentional suicide prevention strategies across the continuum of prevention, intervention, and after a suicide loss. Suicide prevention efforts are more likely to succeed when they combine multiple strategies that work together to address different aspects of the problem. Through work with the Consortium, this model identifies and provides 11 broad strategies that represent a comprehensive framework for law enforcement suicide prevention and mental health promotion. The framework was adapted from a model developed by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. This model and framework are based on existing evidence and input from the Consortium.