SUICIDE RATES IN HAWAI’I
Hawai’i has one of the lowest suicide rates in the U.S., currently ranking 39th among U.S. states for suicide deaths with 12.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people according to the most recent CDC suicide data from 2020. Yet, despite this low suicide ranking compared with other U.S. states, suicide is still a leading cause of death in Hawai’i, especially among young people.
Hawai’i suicide rates by age group (CDC 2020 stats):
- 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10-24
- 2nd leading cause of death for ages 25-34
- 3rd leading cause of death for ages 35-44
- 6th leading cause of death for ages 45-54
- 8th leading cause of death for ages 55-64
- 18th leading cause of death for ages 65+
In 2020, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in Hawai’i, and more than 6 times as many people died by suicide than in alcohol related motor vehicle accidents. Worse, 85.78% of communities in Hawai’i didn’t have enough mental health providers to serve residents in 2021, according to federal guidelines.
An important goal of the federal government’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (Goal 7), is to ensure community and clinical health care providers are trained in evidence-based suicide-specific assessments, management and delivery of effective clinical care. Here’s how CAMS can help accomplish the goal of suicide prevention in Hawai’i.
Sources:
CDC: Suicide Mortality by State (2020)
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) & Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE)
A Look at Suicide Rates Ahead of 988 Launch—A National Three-Digit Suicide Prevention Hotline
The CAMS Suicide Prevention Assessment, Intervention, and Treatment Methodology is Backed by 30 Years of On-Going Clinical Research
How CAMS-CARE can Address the Mental Health Crisis in Hawai’i
The CAMS Framework has been proven through multiple randomized clinical trials to be the best assessment, intervention and treatment to reduce suicide ideation. Mental health professionals have reported that the CAMS Framework has given them a way to confidently treat suicidal patients effectively in only 6-8 sessions.
But more importantly, patients have reported that they like using the CAMS Framework. It is recommended by such groups as the Zero Suicide Initiative, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Sentinel Event Alert (PDF) by the Joint Commission, and the 2021 Surgeon General’s Call to Action (PDF).
While it is important that communities learn how to identify the signs of suicide risk (often referred to as “gatekeeper” training), and maintain local suicide prevention crisis lines, it is crucial to have a network of healthcare providers in place and trained in evidence-base suicide-specific treatment to whom people identified as suicidal may be immediately referred. Such suicide-specific treatment is not generally available in hospitals or emergency departments.
Because CAMS is a flexible Framework, it can be easily adapted to cultural preferences, various populations, and a range of clinical settings, such as active-duty military, veterans, tribal, adolescents, children, community mental health, crisis centers, employee assistance programs, forensic settings, inpatient, outpatient, primary care, school settings, telehealth, and University Counseling Centers.
The impact of suicide affects all communities in Hawai’i but may be felt even harder in rural neighbor islands where resources for prevention, identification, and treatment are less accessible and residents face more extreme health and economic disparities than their urban counterparts. One strategy to address this is to provide mental health care to rural communities through telehealth.
CAMS has been successfully administered using telepsychology in a variety of settings, including rural and frontier regions of the intermountain West of the United States, and the U.S. Army’s Warrior Resiliency Program in San Antonio, Texas for suicidal soldiers in geographically remote locations. CAMS is a highly interactive and collaborative structure that engages the patient in their own treatment and has been shown to be effective across a variety of settings.
CAMS-care offers several training options to meet various learning styles and budgets, as well as the challenges of remote rural communities. The CAMS treatment is available via online training, in-person role-play training, consultation calls, ZOOM training, and more.
Learn more about how CAMS addresses mental health. Find a CAMS Trained clinician in Hawai’i.
Hawai’i Continuing Education Requirements
Social workers, counselors, and psychologists are each required to undergo a set number of Continuing Education Credit Hours every 2 to 3 years. Here are the current requirements for Continuing Education (CE) credits for the state of Hawai’i:
Social Workers in Hawai’i Need 45 CE Credit Hours Every 3 Years
Counselors in Hawai’i Need 30 CE Credit Hours Every 2 Years
Psychologists in Hawai’i need 18 CE Credit hours every 2 years
Model Bill to Effectively Reduce the Suicide Rate in Hawai’i
While training communities to identify the signs of suicide risk is important, it is not enough to effectively reduce the suicide rate. Legislation must be passed that requires all mental health professionals and primary care physicians to receive training in evidence-based, assessment, management, intervention, and treatment of suicide risk. Because, everyone deserves a life worth living.
CAMS-CARE Suicide Prevention Products
CAMS-care offers training courses and materials for individuals and organizations in Hawai’i. Our products also allow professionals to earn CE credits to meet your state’s CE requirements:
The CAMS proven framework is introduced in Dr. Jobes book, Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach. The current edition includes evidence from decades worth of extensive research and has a greater emphasis on how to implement CAMS in clinical settings.
You may earn 6 CE credits after reading the book and passing the CE test.
We offer training in addressing malpractice and ethical liability when working with suicidal patients, tips suggestions for working with difficult patients, and treating suicide risk with children and adolescents.
CAMS-care offers engaging video training opportunities that gives professionals to earn 1 – 3 CE credits.
We also provide online and on-site Role-Play Training, Consultation Calls, and host Education Days for more hands-on approaches to the CAMS framework.