The Southwest Prevention Center at OU Outreach received a five-year, $50 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to continue leading the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Founded nearly 40 years ago, the Southwest Prevention Center in Norman works to improve behavioral and public health outcomes, advocating for the prevention of substance abuse and related high-risk behaviors, according to its website.
The center's director, Marie Cox, said it also provides technical assistance to health care workers across multiple regions and consults for the national Opioid Response Network.
With the newly awarded $50 million grant, the prevention center will renew efforts to improve the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center, which trains people working on the frontline of suicide prevention in Oklahoma and beyond. The grant has a five-year term and will help center staff develop new training materials and increase outreach to connect more people with suicide prevention practices.
The national center reports training more than 14,000 people annually. Its website — which has fact sheets, videos and online courses — has garnered about 1.7 million views over the past five years.
Belinda Biscoe, OU's senior associate vice president for Outreach, said the grant award will keep that work going.
"We are humbled and honored to lead this effort, bringing together science, compassion and innovation to advance suicide prevention," Biscoe said in a press release. "The significance of this award is national in scope, but deeply personal in its impact — it is about offering hope, reducing suffering, and ensuring that every life is valued and protected."
Cox said suicide prevention depends on an informed and coordinated community response.
"Evidence-based trainings ensure that everyone, from educators and first responders to clinicians, parents, and peers, knows how to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and connect individuals to care," she said.
A 2024 survey conducted by The Harris Poll, in partnership with the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, found that nine in ten adults believe suicide can be prevented at least sometimes, a shift from the belief that suicide was an inevitable outcome.
Cox said Oklahoma is uniquely positioned to lead prevention efforts because it suicide affects so many lives locally.
Oklahoma has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and it's increasing faster than the national average. From 2013 to 2022, nearly 8,000 Oklahomans died by suicide, according to a recent report. That's approximately two people every day for the last ten years.
Nationally, more than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2022 alone, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can dial or text 988 and be connected to help.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
