Each day we lose three Tennesseans to suicide, now the ninth leading cause of death in Tennessee. In 2017, there were 142 youth deaths by suicide, representing the ten to twenty-four (10-24) age group, with 51 of these representing children between the ages of ten to seventeen (10-17). Suicide by children increased by 24.4 percent from 2016 to 2017; and more alarmingly, suicide by children increased by 54.5 percent from 2015 to 2017.

The Tennessee Department of Health's Office of Health Statistics reports there were 1,163 recorded suicide deaths in Tennessee in 2017, up from 1,110 the previous year. The suicide rate jumped from 16.7 to 17.3 per 100,000. Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in Tennessee during 2014 – 2016. 

The “2019 Status of Suicide in Tennessee” report provides state legislators, mental health professionals, and the general public with information on the problem of suicide in our state and what is being done to prevent it. The complete report is available on the TSPN website at http://tspn.org/sost .

The Memphis/Shelby County Region Intervention workgroup attended the Suicide Prevention Kick-off Experience the Veterans Association: VA Table Tour for Agencies Serving Veterans on January 22nd. Pictured here are Emeritus Member Renee Brown, Dr. Sanra Maize-Abrams, Jo Carter, Advisory Council Member Jon Jackson, and West TN Regional Director Tosha Gurley.

This event was a network opportunity for community agencies that serve the veteran population. Many thanks to the VA Memphis Mental Health Social Work Recover Programs for hosting this event and the TSPN Intervention workgroup for attending this event and sharing resources to over 400 veterans, families, and community members!

Get to Know Your Leaders Across the State!

TSPN would like to thank those that make suicide prevention possible in Tennessee. We are going to begin this with Advisory Council, Emeritus Member, and Staff highlights. Nothing we do at TSPN is possible without the dedication of these individuals and their continued time and commitment to TSPN and suicide prevention, and for that we must thank you! Email them and thank them for what they do!

Thank you to all those who have donated time and funds to TSPN!

We can not do it without you!

Thank you for Volunteering Your Time and Expertise:

Will McPeake~ Cindy and Randy Jantz ~Sean Jones ~Phillip Barham ~Dana Cobb ~Lynn Julian ~Paula Terry ~Megan Gaylord ~Audrey Elion ~Amanda Parker ~Galen Hull ~Mora Fielding ~Austin Peay State University Media Relations Class, Professor Mike Dunn ~Anis Mnif ~Bob Forster ~Melissa Weitekamp ~Remona Calhoun ~Simone Coleman

Thank you for supporting TSPN Monetarily:

Jeffrey Bryan Hair In Memory of Michael Tawzer ~Rachel Norris In Memory of Christina Effertz ~ Diane Garrett ~ Anita Clark In Memory of Mark G Clark - loving husband and father ~ TN Poultry Association In Memory of Frank Butt ~ Cookeville Radiator Shop ~ John Weakley In Memory of our Nephew ~ Jonathan Holler In Memory of Terence Lake ~ Gracie Budge ~Travis Williams ~ Shanna Veach In Honor of my father, Rickey Fuller ~ Rose M Mann ~Cynthia Gilley ~Dana Townsend ~Linda Bickers Collier ~Lynn Julian ~Kelly Tucker ~Debra Ballou ~Carlie Jo Brewer ~Sam Wilcox ~Tamarin Huelin

Field Placement Students with TSPN:

John Bazzano, Austin Peay State University ~Tiffany Stinson, University of Tennessee ~Keri Frantell, University of Tennessee ~Crystal Perry, Union University ~Brittany Maldonado, Austin Peay State University ~Amanda Parker, Columbia State Community College ~Grace Perry, Trevecca University ~Joanna Hernandez, Trevecca University