The New York State Roadmap for Suicide Prevention has been released as part of Suicide Prevention Month.
The roadmap includes three major initiatives including a statewide strategy with prevention goals and objectives; the Suicide Prevention Task Force Report with recommendations to reduce disparities for groups most at-risk, and an action plan laying out specific steps to advance these efforts.
The roadmap features “1,700 Too Many: New York State’s Strategy for Suicide Prevention,” a five-year strategy that identifies how to strengthen the foundation of suicide prevention. Named in honor of the lives lost to suicide annually in New York, this document lays out five strategic directions, including enhancing data collection and monitoring; ensuring equitable access to care; amplifying support for communities with suicide disparities; expanding effective community-driven prevention efforts; and integrating prevention services into healthcare and improving access to services for those in crisis.
Also included are the findings of the Suicide Prevention Task Force, a 33-member body that included individuals with lived experience, advocates, subject matter experts and professionals serving high-risk populations, who were charged with examining disparities in suicide rates across the state and developing recommendations. The resulting report outlines seven priority areas for the state to address, including: reducing stigma; addressing social determinants of suicide; incorporating experts with lived experience in prevention efforts; expanding access to culturally responsive care; strengthening community-based approaches, including school-based and workplace initiatives; and enhancing data collection and use.
In addition, the roadmap includes the Comprehensive Action Plan for Suicide Prevention, which takes the goals laid out in the strategy and the recommendations from the Task Force Report to create 46 actionable items to be spearheaded by the State Office of Mental Health, with defined metrics tracked over time to measure progress. This includes strengthening data and surveillance, expanding community engagement and stigma reduction, improving clinical and crisis care, ensuring equitable access and workforce diversity, and reducing barriers to care — especially within communities facing suicide disparities.
New York had the second-lowest suicide rate in the nation in 2024, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, trailing behind only New Jersey among states. There were 1,701 deaths by suicide recorded in New York State in 2024.
The state’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is also among the most active in the nation, logging more than 52,000 calls in July alone –second only to California.
OMH also supports New Yorkers who have lost a family member or loved one via suicide through the Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors program, which connects survivors to local groups and other resources in the aftermath to foster stability and resilience. Established in 2022, this evidence-based initiative now supports teams that serve eight upstate counties.
In addition, Be Well, OMH’s ongoing public awareness campaign to support mental wellness and help New Yorkers navigate tough times, has added information on how to process grief and cope with the complex grieving process. This new content provides tips individuals can use to help themselves or others, including conversation starters, and how to be an active listener for someone who is grieving.
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