In 2023, suicide ranked as the 15th leading cause of death in New York State and tragically took the lives of 1,717 New Yorkers. Behind these numbers are real lives lost, and a stark reminder that suicide affects all communities across the state and that a coordinated response is essential. The Roadmap for Suicide Prevention represents New York State’s comprehensive efforts to achieve that response: a unified package of three interrelated documents, each serving a distinct function, and together forming a path forward for preventing suicide in New York State over the next four years.

The Roadmap was developed and informed by subject matter experts, community members, those with suicide-centered lived experience, current research findings, and in alignment with the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention with a universal goal of preventing suicide attempts and deaths among New Yorkers. It is grounded in the understanding that ‘suicide prevention is everyone’s business’, and that it requires alignment across clinical, community, and public health approaches, with an intentional focus on those that face disparities and have a greater risk of suicide.

The three documents that comprise the Roadmap for Suicide Prevention are:

• The New York State Strategy for Suicide Prevention – a strategy developed by the NYS Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center and the NYS Suicide Prevention Council, with input from subject matter experts and individuals with lived experience. It establishes strategic directions and goals as the foundation to a comprehensive, statewide effort to advance suicide prevention across New York.  Derived from the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention but tailored to NYS, the Strategy is intended to serve as broad guidance for all those involved in suicide prevention across the state. It aims to inspire and mobilize individuals, organizations, state agencies, and communities across the state to take meaningful action.  
• New York Suicide Prevention Task Force Report: Findings and Recommendations to Reduce Suicide Disparities – a report produced by a Task Force of selected suicide prevention experts over the course of 7 meetings (2024-2025). This report presents findings and recommendations focused on addressing disparities in suicide risk across New York. The recommendations are grounded in the latest evidence with the goal of ensuring that prevention efforts reach those who need them most. The report was developed with the research support of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. 
• New York State Office of Mental Health’s Comprehensive Action Plan for Suicide Prevention – an action plan derived directly from the goals of the NYS Strategy for Suicide Prevention and the recommendations from the NYS Suicide Prevention Task Force Report.  This action plan translates statewide priorities into concrete approaches, paired with specific performance metrics to measure the progress being made over the next four years. It is the NYS Office of Mental Health’s operational commitment to advancing suicide prevention across clinical, community, and public health settings. 

Together, these three documents form the Roadmap for preventing suicide across New York State.

View an accessible PDF version of The New York State Roadmap for Suicide Prevention

Key domains that are found throughout the New York State Roadmap to Suicide Prevention are:

• Data, Surveillance, Evaluation and Quality Improvement
• Equitable Access, Responsive Prevention, and Workforce Diversity
• Population-Focused and Culturally Responsive Prevention for Communities with Suicide Disparities
• Community Engagement, Lived Experience Integration, and Stigma Reduction
• Clinical Services and Crisis Response

These areas reflect the New York State Office of Mental Health’s commitment to ensuring prevention efforts are coordinated, community-driven, and reach every New Yorker.