Reduce Access to Means
To effectively prevent suicide, it is important to reduce access to means that someone might use to end their life. Policies that allow students to safely store guns with campus security, securing windows and balconies on tall buildings, and locking up dangerous chemicals in labs and maintenance closets, as well as counseling students on means safety when appropriate are all strategies that help accomplish this goal.
Suicide Prevention on Bridges: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Position, 2017 (PDF/.228 Megabytes)
Originally created in 2008 and revised in 2017 to reflect new evidence, this report makes the case for the use of physical barriers on bridges for the purpose of suicide prevention. The report outlines the benefits of using barriers as opposed to using phones connected directly to crisis lines or signs containing crisis line information. In short, the report concludes and advocates for the use of barriers as the most effective deterrent for preventing suicide on bridges.
Firearms on College Campuses: Research Evidence and Policy Implications, 2016 (PDF/.452 Megabytes)
Provided by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, this report looks at the connection between the carrying of firearms by civilians and mass shootings/violent crime and the issues that are unique to the safety of the public on higher education campuses.
Suicide in Parking Facilities: Prevention, Response, and Recovery, 2016 (PDF/1.16 Megabytes) This report, from the International Parking Institute, outlines strategies that can be used by parking organizations to prevent deaths by suicide from their parking garages. The report's first suggestion for prevention is the use of physical barriers. Other suggestions include the use of "Geofencing" via closed-circuit cameras or perimeter landscaping or awnings to reduce the likelihood of severe injury. They emphasize the importance of having staff who are trained in suicide prevention, who know what to look for, and know what to do if they encounter someone who may be at risk for suicide.
Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) Training (opens new window)
This training is about how to reduce access to the methods people use to die by suicide. It covers who needs lethal means counseling and how to work with people at risk for suicide, and their families, to reduce access.
Lethal Means Safety & Suicide Prevention (opens new window)
Provided by the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center health district, this site offers extensive information on means safety. The site contains information on a patient-centered counseling technique called Lethal Means Safety Counseling (LMSC). It contains research on the topic of means safety, along with recommendations, and additional resources.
Lock to Live (opens new window)
A free tool designed to help you make decisions about temporarily reducing access to potentially dangerous things, like firearms, medicines, sharp objects, or other household items.