Youth Suicide Prevention

EPCPH is transitioning our staffing model from a dedicated youth suicide prevention position to incorporating prevention activities into our broader public health work. Significant funding reductions impacting the agency as a whole as well as the end of the grant that supported this position, prompted a comprehensive review of departmental services, staffing, and how we can most effectively deliver essential public health services. As part of that review, we evaluated the current activities of the position and opportunities to sustain prevention efforts through existing programs and partnerships.

Public Health notified workgroup members in August that the position will end in December. Public Health communicated that we would stay engaged with partners to allow time for planning and a smooth transition by the end of the year. Public Health continues participation in community collaborative work, including workgroup and steering committee meetings.

Public Health supports youth suicide prevention by:

• Maintaining and sharing community data

• Convening the Child Fatality Review Team (CFRT)

• • CFRT is a multidisciplinary team that uses a public health approach to review all preventable childhood deaths (ages 0-17), including motor vehicle crashes, sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID), suicide, unintentional injuries, homicide and undetermined causes. Data and prevention recommendations are then shared with community partners, including those in youth suicide prevention, to inform community efforts.

• Maintaining and promoting prevention resources and crisis referral supports

• Supporting families through early prevention and by connecting them with the resources that can help.

Learn more about how EPCPH supports behavioral health in our community.

Learn more about EPCPH’s core public health services and foundational capabilities.

The youth suicide prevention landscape has evolved over the past decade. Community partnerships, resources, and supports such as the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line, have expanded, and many coordination roles have naturally shifted. While the need for suicide prevention remains, the ways Public Health can meaningfully contribute have as well.

Significant funding and staffing reductions prompted a broader evaluation of agency priorities, mandated services, programs, and how we deploy limited public health resources. This review included consideration of the Youth Suicide Prevention Planner’s current activities, the growth of community prevention capacity, and opportunities to integrate prevention efforts into our broader public health work.

The Youth Suicide Prevention Workgroup, comprised of community partners working in youth suicide prevention, has accomplished several significant milestones over the past decade. These achievements will not go away just because our role is changing. The following milestones support community-led sustainability:

• Establishing a cohesive approach to youth suicide prevention.

• Identifying and promoting evidence-based training and prevention resources and partnering with the community to expand implementation opportunities.

• Expanding countywide suicide prevention training capacity, resulting in greater access to relevant mental health and suicide prevention training.

• Launching major prevention campaigns and tools, such as the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line promotion.

• Developing new resources and toolkits used by schools, youth-serving organizations, and families.

• Strengthening collaboration across schools, healthcare, behavioral health, and nonprofit partners, and creating a well-established, sustainable prevention network.

These accomplishments reflect a decade of shared effort and provide a foundation for community-led collaboration in youth suicide prevention.

While Public Health has a $26 million budget, more than 60 percent of our funding is restricted to specific programs and services. Our remaining resources must support a broad range of public health responsibilities, including mandated public health services such as communicable disease prevention and response, maternal child and family health, targeted clinical services to address issues such as tuberculosis, syphilis and chronic disease prevention, environmental health (restaurant, public pool, childcare, and body art inspections; oversight of wastewater treatment systems, etc.), and other public health services.

Significant funding reductions have required difficult decisions across the agency. Between 2025 and 2027 our workforce is projected to decline by approximately 16 percent, from 195 to 163 full-time equivalent positions.

These changes require us to carefully evaluate how we use limited resources, fulfill our responsibilities, and adapt programs to meet evolving community needs.

As the grant ends and Public Health adjusts to funding and staffing changes, we have undertaken a broad organizational restructuring effort. We evaluated the position’s current activities and opportunities to sustain prevention efforts through existing public health staff and ongoing collaboration.

This decision reflects a shift in how we support youth suicide prevention, rather than a withdrawal from the work. Public Health will continue contributing through upstream prevention, community data, resource sharing, and active participation in collaborative efforts.

This decision does not impact direct mental health treatment services or crisis response resources. Protecting young people and preventing suicide remain important public health priorities. We recognize that effective suicide prevention requires strong partnerships, accessible resources, and sustained community engagement.

Public Health will continue its prevention activities, including monitoring community data, promoting prevention and crisis resources, supporting upstream prevention, and participating in community collaborative efforts.

We remain committed to working with community partners to support the health and well-being of young people.

Youth suicide prevention is a shared responsibility across schools, behavioral health providers, nonprofits, families, and Public Health. Our role is transitioning from serving as the primary convener of the Youth Suicide Prevention Workgroup to participating as an active partner. We will continue contributing public health expertise and supporting community partners as we work together to determine future leadership and coordination.

In 2024, El Paso County’s overall suicide death rate decreased sharply, falling below Colorado’s for the first time since 2005.

Since the 2015-2017 peak of youth suicides, youth suicide death rates in El Paso County (ages 10-18) have declined by about 8 percent per year, based on 3-year rolling averages. Colorado’s has declined by about 5 percent per year, putting El Paso County on track to potentially match or fall below the statewide rate if these trends continue.

For youth ages 10 to 18, suicide rates among males are usually two to three times higher than among females.

To learn more about Youth Suicide Data visit our Data Dashboards.

Signs and Symptoms

• Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide.
• Being unable to sleep or sleeping all the time.
• Giving away prized possessions.
• Thinking there is no reason for living.
• Feeling trapped, or like there is no way out of a difficult situation.

How can you respond?

If you notice any of these warning signs in anyone, you can help!

• Ask if they are okay or if they are having thoughts about suicide (it is important to be direct, and use either of these questions: “are you thinking of killing yourself” or “are you thinking about suicide”).
• Express your concern about what you are observing in their behavior.
• Listen closely, and do not judge.
• Reflect on what they share and let them know they have been heard.
• Tell them they are not alone.
• Let them know there are resources available that can help.
• If you or they are concerned, guide them to additional professional help.

When you are concerned about mental illness and youth, you want to pay attention to changes in behavior. You want to examine the impact of change.

What to look for:

• Pattern Adjustments: overeating or not eating at all, sleeping much more or much less than they used to.
• Depressed mood and/or mood swings.
• Lack of emotion or emotional response.
• Withdrawing from others (friends, family members, and areas of interest).
• Difficulty making decisions, concentrating or remembering.
• Frequent self-criticism or self-blame.
• Changes in hygiene.

Suicide prevention is everyone’s business, and we can all play a role in increasing mental wellness in our community.

There are several ways you can get involved today:

• Reach out to our YSP Workgroup Facilitator to learn more about joining the YSP Workgroup as a member or a supporter
• Attend a suicide prevention training
• Familiarize yourself with local resources and support. See learn more tab for upcoming trainings

For more information on the Youth Suicide Prevention Workgroup or to get involved, please contact:

Brittany Riffle, MSW
Youth Resilience and Suicide Prevention Planner
El Paso County Public Health
719.322.7919
brittanyriffle@elpasoco.com

Resources

• • Recommendations for reporting on suicide
  • Pikes Peak Library District: Tough Topics
  • NAMI Colorado Springs
  • Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Trainings

• Mental Health First Aid/Youth Mental Health First Aid | A skill-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance use issues.
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) | A two-day interactive training on suicide first aid, with a focus on identifying elements of a suicide safety plan, for anyone 16 and older, regardless of prior experience.
• Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) | A 90-minute training with instructions on asking someone about suicidal thoughts, persuading them to get help, and referring them to community resources.
• Soul Shop | An interactive workshop that equips faith community leaders and other people of faith to train their congregations to minister to those impacted by suicidal desperation.

For local training opportunities, visit: spcollab.org/events