Core Principles/Key Concepts
There are a number of key concepts upon which Connect is based:
- Suicide is generally preventable
- Suicide is a public health problem
- We are all “gatekeepers
- Importance of cultural effectiveness
- Youth pay an important role in suicide prevention
- Evaluation is a critical component in an effective program
- Protocols will improve communication and trust between providers.
Socio-Ecological Approach
Connect uses a socio-ecological approach as its theoretical construct. While suicide is generally the act of an individual, it occurs in the context of the individual’s relationships, community, larger society, and culture in which we live. Certainly the suicide death of an individual can profoundly impact family, friends, coworkers, and community (and beyond for well-known, or high-profile deaths).
In developing Connect, we have been mindful of how to work within these multiple systems -often simultaneously. Effective change requires working within multiple environments which is why Connect is committed to promoting community-based implementation efforts.
Unique to Connect is our focus on working with communities to identify risk and protective factors and to bring the community and key stakeholders together to improve the response to suicide events. Working within the community offers the best opportunity for impacting multiple systems simultaneously. The protocols also focus on promoting Best Practices for working with individuals. The postvention protocols, in particular, are intended to improve the response to suicide survivors and to promote healing and suicide prevention. Read more about Connect.
Connect adheres to the principals and goals of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and incorporates Evidence-Based Practices for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention for sectors across the community.