Suicide is a leading cause of death in Washington. Our rates of suicide are higher than the national average and are at risk of increasing further as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. Because medical professionals and client-facing staff are likely to interact with individuals considering suicide, a Washington state law was passed that requires health professionals to complete a one-time training in suicide assessment, treatment and management.

All Patients Safe is an online training created by UW Medicine and Forefront Suicide Prevention in partnership with Seattle Children’s, CoMotion and VA Puget Sound that fulfills that law. Developed by mental health providers and public health experts with lived experience, it has been widely adopted by organizations such as UW Medicine. Over 2,500 people have completed the online training since its launch in 2017.

Thanks to the Behavioral Health Institute at Harborview Medical Center and funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in partnership with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), All Patients Safe is available for free to all Washington medical professionals and client-facing staff until November 2021 for the first 6,000 course participants. To learn more or to register, please visit https://www.apsafe.uw.edu/. Please share the flyer widely with other organizations that work with patients or clients in Washington State. All Patients Safe is administered by the AIMS Center.