Programs and interventions listed in the BPR all go through a multi-expert review process to ensure that they align with current best practices, national frameworks and guidelines in suicide prevention. Every program or intervention is reviewed by at least one individual with lived experience. They also have provided at least three different types or examples of evidence of effectiveness, with clear connections to the BPR’s guiding suicide prevention frameworks, including protocols for safety and safe messaging.

The BPR review process is open to anyone who is authorized by developers to submit a program or intervention that helps prevent suicide. Many submissions come from universities, departments of health, state or regional departments for mental health, non-profit organizations, and corporations that produce training materials and curriculum. Additionally, we are currently seeking submitters who designed programs or interventions for historically underserved people groups and those at high risk for suicide. Upstream prevention is now included in our BPR listings, and we hope to see submissions from programs and interventions that directly address factors that impact suicide.

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention tells us that traditionally, suicide prevention efforts have more often focused on identifying and supporting individuals and groups at risk than on modifying “upstream” risk and protective factors that affect the whole population. Upstream programs could be any type of program, intervention or community effort that supports people living positive lives, things that help people build and maintain successful and stable lives before they become at acute risk for suicide.

The National Strategy recognizes that while we must continue to focus on individuals and groups at risk, we must also seek to modify the upstream societal factors that influence suicide risk and mental health, including adverse childhood experiences, unemployment, a lack of safe and affordable housing, and financial hardship

As the BPR grows, the library of programs and interventions is expected to grow in number and variety; until then, if you don’t find the right fit for your suicide prevention needs, please let us know by emailing the BPR team at sprcbpr@ou.edu. 

Click here to learn more about how to submit a program or intervention to the BPR, and the requirements needed for submission.

Please email us at sprcbpr@ou.edu and share as much detail about any technical issues you are having, as well as how to best contact you; our team will reach out to you as soon as possible to help remedy any issues. Thank you!