In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month, Hamilton County DD Services (HCDDS) has launched a pivotal new resource page to support caregivers, peers, and professionals involved with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This initiative is the fruit of a six-month labor by the Suicide Prevention Task Force, convened by HCDDS in light of the acute levels of loneliness, mental illness, and suicide ideation observed in the IDD community.
Emphasizing a year-round, proactive approach, HCDDS has introduced the ACT suicide prevention plan—Alert, Campaign, and Train. The strategy is to shift from annual data reviews to continuous training, reliable information provision, and practical action steps to deal with suicide-related issues. "Our goal is a proactive suicide prevention plan: ACT, which stands for Alert, Campaign, and Train. We want to move from once-a-year data reporting to providing ongoing training, credible information, and action steps at all stages of suicide-related concerns," HCDDS stated on their resource page.
The Task Force is composed of members from various HCDDS teams, including Advocacy, Life Course, Inclusion, and Family Engagement (ALIFE), the Major Unusual Incident and Prevention (MUIP), and Behavior Support. External partners such as Mary Wolff, coordinator for the Hamilton County Suicide Prevention Coalition, Holly Watson, program manager of Project CARE at the YWCA of Cincinnati, and representatives from the Hamilton County Recovery Center, including Bill Brown and Jason Harris, have joined forces herein. Advocates with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are also part of the collaborative.
The work of the Task Force is slated to carry on into 2026 and beyond, empowering those in supportive roles to identify risks, provide necessary assistance, and engage the broader community in suicide prevention endeavors. HCDDS’s approach is a testament to the collective will to safeguard the most vulnerable within our society, equipping all those connected to IDD individuals with the tools and awareness critical to the cause.
