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Missouri Suicide Prevention Coalition Academy

FAQs about the Missouri Suicide Prevention Coalition Academy

Is there a cost to participate in the coalition academy?

There is no cost or fee to participate in the coalition academy other than staff/volunteer time. Funding for this project will cover travel costs (hotel, rental car/gas/mileage) and certain meals during the in-person Coalition Academy on June 2nd and 3rd, 2025. All follow-up Community of Practice sessions will occur virtually at no cost.

Can coalitions outside the state of Missouri apply to be a part of the coalition academy?

Unfortunately, due to our funding source, only coalitions based in the state of Missouri can apply to be a part of the Coalition Academy.

What is the timeline for the coalition academy?

The timeline for the 2025 cohort is as follows:

What are the expectations and time commitment to participate in the coalition academy?

Below are the expectations and time commitment for involvement in the Coalition Academy:

What are the benefits to participating in the Coalition Academy?

The Coalition Academy will provide training and technical assistance to help coalitions implement sustainable, evidence-based suicide prevention efforts. It will also provide opportunities to network and build relationships with other community coalitions, Prevention Resource Centers, the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network and other statewide stakeholders.The Academy's core content focuses on coalition building skills, the 7 elements of the Community-Led Suicide Prevention Toolkit , foundational suicide prevention knowledge, and strategic planning.

While the Academy does not provide direct funding for implementing suicide prevention efforts, its purpose is to build capacity among your coalition to be able to implement comprehensive suicide prevention efforts and potentially be competitive when applying for other suicide prevention funding (whether local, statewide, or federal grants/funding). The Academy is meant to professionalize the suicide prevention work of your coalition and increase readiness for potential future projects.

Coalitions who participated in the first and second cohorts note that the Academy has helped them make local connections to obtain needed suicide prevention data, advocate for the importance of suicide prevention efforts, develop strategic plans with sustainability in mind, and develop relationships with local partners.

Read more about our 2023 and 2024 Academy Cohorts below!

Can I nominate a coalition to be a part of the Coalition Academy?

Yes, if you would like to nominate a community coalition to apply for the coalition academy, please complete the nomination form. You will need the coalition name and the primary contact information (name and email) for the coalition. Complete the nomination form here.

Where can I find other details about the Community-Led Suicide Prevention Toolkit?

You can read more about the Community-Led Suicide Prevention Toolkit (a project of the Education Development Center) here!

What is the funding source for the Coalition Academy?

The Missouri Suicide Prevention Coalition Academy is a project of Missouri Partners in Prevention and the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network and supported with funding from the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The project is funded, in part, under grant number 1H79SM08292 from SAMHSA. The views, opinions and content of this are those of the authors and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, or HHS, and should not be construed as such.

Who should prepare and submit the application?

We recommend designating one individual as the lead applicant to compile and submit materials, this individual will receive all communications about the academy. This can be the coalition’s senior/executive leader if desired but does not have to be. The lead applicant is expected to be one of the coalition’s team members who will attend the in-person Coalition Academy in June 2025.

What is the selection criteria? What does a successful application look like?

A successful application is thorough and well thought out, demonstrates honesty and passion/interest in implementing suicide prevention strategies. Additionally, it identifies a strong team of folks to attend and notes that the coalition has the capacity to be fully engaged in the coalition academy.

How many coalitions will be selected to participate in the cohort?

We plan to select around 5-8 coalitions total (made up of 3-5 team members) to participate.

How many people from our organization can attend the Coalition Academy?

3-5 team members will attend the in-person Coalition Academy. We understand that turnover or other organizational changes may occur between now and the in-person event, so substitutions will be allowed.

Who should we choose to attend from our organization?

It is strongly recommended to include an individual with authority for implementation decisions as well as a team with a diverse group of members (various professional backgrounds, lived experiences, historically marginalized identities, or from communities with greater suicide risk, e.g., veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, etc.) We also recommend individuals who haave foundational suicide prevention knowledge and who will be invested in the work of coalition building, strategic planning, and strategy implementation.

Will the Coalition Academy provide certification or CEUs?

In 2023 & 2024, we were able to offer CHES (Certified Health Education Specialist) CEUs through NCHEC along with CEUs towards Suicide Prevention clock/contact hours through the Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIIMH). We anticipate being able to offer these same CEUs in 2025.

We can also provide a certificate of attendance, but completion of the Academy will not ‘certify’ attendees.

Is there anything our coalition needs to bring/prepare in advance of the in-person Academy?

It is recommended that you bring 1) a copy of the application, 2) the results of the coalition readiness assessment, and 3) the coalition’s strategic plan/action plan, or any other guiding documents for your coalition.

Will the in-person Coalition Academy be recorded/available to access after the fact?

No, we don’t plan to record the in-person academy events (part of the experience is being there and learning from other attendees!) We will record the virtual Community of Practice (CoP) sessions and make them available for the cohort.

If our coalition is not selected this year, will there be another Academy?

We are tentatively planning to host a fourth cohort for the Coalition Academy in 2026.

Do coalitions need to be nominated in order to apply?

No, a coalition does not need to have been nominated in order to apply.

Will the Coalition Academy provide direct funding to coalitions to implement suicide prevention efforts?

The Coalition Academy will provide training and technical assistance to implement sustainable, evidence-based suicide prevention efforts. It will also provide opportunities to network and build relationships with other community coalitions, Prevention Resource Centers, the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network and other statewide stakeholders.

While the academy does not provide direct funding for implementing suicide prevention efforts, its purpose is to build capacity among your coalition to be able to implement comprehensive suicide prevention efforts and potentially be competitive when applying for other suicide prevention funding (whether local, statewide, or federal grants/funding). The academy is meant to professionalize the suicide prevention work of your coalition and increase readiness for potential future projects.

Currently our funding is to provide training and technical assistance as part of implementing the Academy, but as of right now participation in the Academy does not provide funding for strategy implementation.

Which coalitions participated in the Academy previously?

Coalitions Participating in 2024 Cohort 2

Coalitions Participating in 2023 Cohort 1

Does participation in the Coalition Academy mean I am registered with the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network’s Community Coalition Registration Process?

No, not necessarily. While MSPN is a partner in the Coalition Academy, if you are interested in registering your coalition with MSPN please visit their website to learn more about the Community Coalition Registration Process.