Best Practices Registry (BPR) For Suicide Prevention

Section III of the BPR lists programs, practices, policies, protocols, and informational materials whose content has been reviewed according to current program development standards and recommendations (see the Section III criteria below.) Section III programs and materials are designed for use in specific settings such as schools, communities, clinics, or campuses, as opposed to Section II statements, which offer general guidance to the field.

Important Note: Inclusion in Section III means only that the content meets the criteria outlined below; the Section III review process does not examine program outcomes. See Section I: Evidence-Based Programs for programs that have produced positive outcomes related to suicide prevention. While not the same as proven effectiveness, adherence to standards is an important aspect of developing high-quality prevention programs.

Inclusion in Section III does not mean that SPRC and AFSP endorses or recommends these practices; rather, we recommend that BPR listings be used as one information source in the context of an effective prevention planning process. This listing includes only materials submitted and reviewed according to BPR Section III criteria and is not a comprehensive inventory of all suicide prevention practices.

Section III listings are organized into four categories.

• Awareness and Outreach Materials include public service announcements, videos, brochures and other materials designed to convey basic information, for example, statistics about suicide, the impact of suicide on communities, and the location of services and resources. While an important foundation for prevention, such materials in-and-of-themselves rarely are sufficient to prevent suicidal behavior. Effective prevention will usually require more intensive programs that go beyond providing basic information to actually changing underlying risk and protective factors for suicide.
• Educational and Training Programs aim to increase knowledge and change attitudes related to suicide prevention. Training programs differ from educational programs in that they typically include the additional objective of increasing participants' skills to perform prevention-related activities. Generally, to be effective, skill instruction should incorporate role-playing and/or practice.
• Screening Programs aim to identify individuals at risk for suicide through standardized instruments or tools and provide those who screen positive with avenues for appropriate referrals and follow-up.
• Protocols and policies establish rules or standards that, when implemented, should contribute to a reduction in the risk for suicide for individuals in that setting.

BPR Section III Eligibility and Review Criteria

To be eligible for review, the program must address specific objectives of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. In addition, program materials must be available to the field through a website or contact person (the BPR posts information about practices, not program materials.)
Each practice is rated on fifteen criteria:

• Accuracy of Content (1 criterion)
• Likelihood of Meeting Objectives (1 criterion)
• Programmatic Guidelines: based on the AAS Guidelines for School-based Suicide Prevention Programs (PDF) (4 criteria)
• Messaging Guidelines: based on the Safe and Effective Messaging Guidelines (PDF) (9 criteria)

The Section III Application Guidelines (PDF) contain a detailed description of these criteria.
Three expert reviewers rate each criterion on a scale of 1 (low) through 4 (high). Programs must receive an average score of 3 or greater on each applicable criterion to be added to the BPR. For more information about the review process, see How to Apply to Section III.

Resources Related to Section III Criteria:
We encourage practitioners to use the Section III criteria in developing suicide prevention efforts whether or not you plan to submit them for BPR review. This resource page lists links and resources for developing suicide prevention content that is accurate, likely to meet objectives, and consistent with programmatic and messaging standards in the field.

To Apply to Section III

Please see How to Apply to Section III for detailed information about the Section III submission and review process. This process is designed to be collaborative, and we encourage program developers to contact us with questions after reviewing the application materials.