(Ohio) – State organizations are teaming up to bring the Zero Suicide Institute (ZSI) to Ohio.

The Ohio Children’s Hospital (OCHA) and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) along with the Cardinal Health Foundation are working together in a collaborative effort to make the effort possible. The initiative is supported by mental health funding from OhioMHAS.

The Ohio Zero Suicide Pediatric Initiative highlights resources through a public-private partnership. It involves access for hospitals to participate in comprehensive training with the goal of disseminating information both throughout the hospitals and into the communities.  OCHA’s hospitals are moving forward with adopting a framework that utilizes evidence-based and promising practices focused on suicide prevention.

The effort also allows Ohio’s children’s hospitals to assess current community-based suicide prevention initiatives while also supporting and promoting a coordinated framework within primary care providers, schools, parents/caregivers, behavioral health organizations, and other partners.