Florida Department of Corrections Educational Campaign

The Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) approached the Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention to hold an educational campaign for their employees, both the state-level and direct care staff. It was determined that our approach would cover training, awareness, and educational materials.

Dr. Dean Aufderheide has been trained in the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s (SPRC) Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk training. Dr. Aufderheide blanketed the state, training all DOC direct care staff. Additionally, over 26,000 educational brochures, wallet cards, and posters were graciously provided by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for DOC employees statewide free of cost.

Throughout the 2008 calendar year, the Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention provided a monthly suicide prevention segment to be featured in the Department of Corrections Compass, a weekly electronic newsletter. This campaign ended in December 2008 but each month's featured segment is available below.

JanuaryThe Silent Epidemic
FebruaryMyths and Misperceptions; Uncovering the Truth about Suicide
March - Suicide and Substance Abuse; an Important Risk Factor
AprilSuicide and Mental Illness
MayThe Dynamics of Domestic Violence and the Co-Occurrence with Mental Illness and Suicide
JuneSurviving Suicide – Transforming Grief into Hope
JulyStop Adult Suicide
AugustSuicide Among the Incarcerated
SeptemberLaw Enforcement; Helping Those Who Help Others
OctoberSuicide: A Preventable Public Health Threat
NovemberThe National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
DecemberHelping Someone in Suicidal Crisis