September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month, and several resources are available to support physicians and patients in Colorado.
The American Medical Association (AMA) offers a toolkit to help identify and support at-risk physicians. The AMA also provides guidance for practices or systems seeking to identify and treat patients at risk of suicide, with specific information on child and adolescent care.
For organizations looking to address clinician burnout, the updated AMA STEPS Forward toolkit outlines six practical steps that leaders can take to measure burnout and improve physician well-being.
The Colorado Medical Society, together with the Colorado Physician Health Program, has launched the Doc2Doc Wellbeing Consulting Program. This initiative provides three free, one-hour confidential peer wellbeing consultation sessions for any Colorado physician or medical student. Physicians can call 720-810-9131 to connect with a licensed clinician and schedule a follow-up with a peer physician. According to the program’s announcement: “All calls are confidential to the fullest extent of the law.”
In addition, there are educational materials available about suicide prevention. These include information on warning signs, risk factors, ways to support someone who may be considering suicide, and details about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
