Hackensack Meridian Health Launches Youth Suicide Prevention Training for Nurses Across the Network

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare network, is proud to announce the launch of an Adolescent Clinician Training for Suicide Prevention for Nurses (ACTS) for HMH nursing professionals.

With a $100,000 grant from the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children's Mental Health, and a partnership with The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, the program will train nurses across the HMH network by 2025. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to addressing the growing behavioral health crisis, especially when it comes to our young people,"" said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “By expanding access to care, better coordinating treatment and continuing to invest in our front line teams, we will more people find the path to recovery."

The plan calls for training non-behavioral-health nurses to better assess, evaluate, and treat or refer suicidal patients with whom they come into contact. The initial phase will serve as a baseline for the expanded training of thousands of HMH nurses by 2025.

“We are continuing to invest in our nursing staff throughout the network and are committed to making sure they have every tool available to help the growing ranks of behavioral health patients," said Don Parker, President of Behavioral Healthcare Transformation at HMH.

“SPTS has been an outstanding partner for Hackensack Meridian Health providing suicide prevention training to many our staff across the system,” Mr. Parker continued. “The need for skills and knowledge in identifying and delivering a wider range of behavioral health disease identification and treatment strategies has never been greater.”

“Nurses are at the forefront of patient care, and key to successful outcomes as they not only provide extraordinary clinical care but also act as advocate, intermediary and counselor,” said Regina Foley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, executive vice president, chief transformation officer and interim nurse executive at Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our nurses recognize the unique and critical role they play in our patient’s lives, and we are thrilled to be able to offer them this vital resource to help address suicide prevention.”

Dawn Doherty, SPTS Executive Director, said: “We are honored to receive the Morgan Stanley Innovation Grant through the Morgan Stanley Children’s Mental Health Alliance. Our partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health is a crucial step in equipping non-behavioral health nurses with specialized suicide prevention training. Together, we’re strengthening our commitment to youth mental health and saving lives.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in the 10 years ahead of the COVID pandemic feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased 40% among youth. The impact is even higher post-pandemic, caused in part by isolation and a growing reliance on technology and social media for social interaction.

This program benefits New Jersey youths who may be experiencing suicide ideation. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death for youths. JAMA Pediatrics reported earlier this year that New Jersey is among five states that saw an increase in suicide deaths among adolescents during the pandemic.

Many New Jersey hospitals reported seeing increases in 2022 of between 20% and 49% in pediatric emergency room psychiatry consults over the previous year. Adolescents accounted for a larger share of suicides across 14 states in 2020 than they did over the previous five years, according to research. In 2020, New Jersey was among six states in which adolescents accounted for a larger proportion of all suicides. (The others were Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma and Virginia.)

Many medical professionals say they feel ill-equipped to treat adolescents at risk for suicide.

HMH’s nurse training program will enable broad reach and extensive suicide prevention efforts throughout the state of New Jersey. The HMH system and most importantly its patients will reap the benefits of this training, through a clinical staff that will now have increased knowledge and capacity to support mental health needs of pediatric patients, with an increased potential to save lives.