Suicide Prevention Initiative Wins Golden Trumpet

“Detecting and treating suicide ideation in all settings,” a Sentinel Event Alert and infographic produced by The Joint Commission, won a Golden Trumpet Award from the Publicity Club of Chicago.

As a member of a Joint Commission team comprised of health care and communication experts, Ray Valek contributed reporting, research and writing skills to the development of the alert. The Joint Commission has been a Valek & Co. client since 2005.

The alert suggests ways that health care providers in inpatient and outpatient settings can better identify and treat individuals with thoughts of suicide. The 10th leading cause of death in America, suicide claims more lives than traffic accidents and more than twice as many as homicides.

Valek & Co.’s responsibilities included reviewing relevant research, interviewing experts, and writing drafts of the alert for review by the team. Accompanying the alert is an infographic outlining the alert’s eight main suggested actions.