INJURY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION BRANCH

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Office of Suicide Prevention

Lighthouse & a rocky beach by the ocean

Suicide is a major public health concern in California, affecting individuals, families, and communities. Suicide is a death caused by self-inflicted injury with intent to die, while a suicide attempt involves self-harm with intent to die that does not result in death. Because suicide is complex and has no single cause, effective prevention requires a comprehensive approach that strengthens protective factors and reduces risk across individual, community, and societal levels.

In response to this public health challenge, the Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) was established by Assembly Bill (AB) 2112 in 2021 to build strong partnerships, share critical data, and promote evidence-informed strategies that support safe and healthy communities across California.

Office of Suicide Prevention: Strategic Priorities

Communication and Messaging	Reduce stigma and promote suicide prevention strategies through effective public health communications.
Safe and Protective Environments	Promote lethal means safety, resiliency, and connectedness to minimize risk for self-harm and suicidal behavior.
Suicide Loss and Crisis Response	Support local level crisis response and postvention support systems to rapidly and comprehensively respond to suicide attempts and deaths.
Training and Resources	Promote workforce and community suicide prevention training.