Colorado- National Collaborative (CNC) Kick-Start Communities - RFA #32652159

Learn more about this funding opportunity

This project will support local coalition building and infrastructure development to implement the Colorado-National Collaborative (CNC) comprehensive suicide prevention initiative. The CNC is a collaboration among local, state, and national suicide prevention specialists and Colorado residents to identify, implement, and evaluate successful state and community-based strategies for suicide prevention in Colorado.

The project supports local partners from priority counties/regions in developing and implementing a comprehensive array of strategies that support a public health approach to suicide prevention. The currently identified community-based strategies of the comprehensive approach include: Connectedness, Economic Stability and Supports, Education and Awareness, Access to Safer Suicide Care, Lethal Means Safety, and Postvention.

The Colorado counties/regions eligible for these funds were identified based on data,  local momentum to support comprehensive strategies, and a need for comprehensive suicide prevention programs in Colorado’s Eastern Plains regions.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) anticipates awarding three grantees that each serve, in whole or in part, at least one of the Health Statistics Regions (HSRs):

1. HSR 1: Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties
2. HSR 5: Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, and Lincoln counties
3. HSR 6: Baca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, and Prowers counties

The project requires both public/private and multi-sector collaboration among diverse stakeholder groups, agencies, and organizations, which can include: 

• health care organizations, 
• youth-serving organizations, 
• schools, higher educational institutions, 
• justice and correctional settings, 
• foster care and child welfare systems,
• faith-based organizations, 
• firearm-owning communities, 
• clubs and associations, 
• BIPOC-serving organizations and groups, 
• LGBTQ+-serving organizations and groups, 
• refugee/immigrant-serving organizations and groups, 
• service members and veteran services organizations, 
• priority industries and workplaces
  • agriculture, 
  • construction, 
  • oil and gas, 
  • emergency services, 
  • law enforcement, etc., 
• senior and older adult serving agencies, 
• substance misuse and mental health programs, 
• housing agencies, 
• child care and food security and social service agencies, 
• other community, regional, and state supporting organizations including those with lived experience of suicide loss or attempts.

The ultimate goal of this project is to reduce suicide deaths and non-fatal suicide attempts among Coloradans.

Overall goals of this funding opportunity

• Create healthy, thriving and resilient communities, free from violence, injury, and discrimination. 
• Reduce suicidal despair, attempts, and deaths by suicide among Coloradans. 
• Increase connectedness, access to economic stability and support, education and awareness, access to safer suicide care, lethal means safety, and postvention activities in the service area.
  
   

Eligible organizations must be based in Colorado

To be eligible, the entity must have a demonstrated history of coordinating suicide prevention activities within one of these Colorado counties/regions:

1. HSR 1: Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties
2. HSR 5: Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, and Lincoln counties
3. HSR 6: Baca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, and Prowers counties