Fraser is Committed to Zero Suicide Initiative

Each day, about 125 people in the U.S. die by suicide. Fraser is working with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and other Minnesota healthcare organizations to reduce the number of suicide deaths in the state through the Zero Suicide Initiative. The organizations are working together to transform their screening processes and provide better care to people experiencing suicidal thoughts in Minnesota.

The website states, “Zero Suicide is a quality improvement model that transforms system-wide suicide prevention and care to save lives.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Fraser has seen the need for mental health care services soar, particularly for young adults and adults. The organization understands that when parents and caregivers are experiencing stress, their mental health is often affected. They may also have a harder time supporting their children’s mental health, which can mean children don’t get the help they need.

“This initiative is crucial in ensuring that we are identifying individuals who are at risk and in providing compassionate and responsive care,” says Dr. Aric Jensen, Fraser Sr. Director of Mental Health.

By partnering with MDH and other healthcare organizations, Fraser is actively working to identify any gaps in our service delivery and learn from the other organizations. The nonprofit is then rolling out organizational improvements to better support people with suicidal thoughts in Minnesota.

Since joining the initiative, Fraser conducted a workforce survey that revealed staff wanted more training on suicide prevention, screening and intervention. In February 2022, Fraser rolled out training on these topics to targeted clinical teams. Training is continuing for more teams in the organization. Fraser is also focused on improving suicide care for parents and caregivers and is committed to using Zero Suicide policies and workflows to further enhance Fraser’s processes.