Andrew Rosenfeld, MD, (left) Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families Zero Suicide Fund project lead; Thomas Delaney, PhD, (right) UVM Larner College of Medicine’s Four Pines Fellowship for Excellence in Suicide Prevention and Treatment project lead
Youth suicide prevention research and training gains invaluable new resources
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth in Vermont, yet finding care that directly addresses suicide prevention with an evidence-based approach is exceedingly difficult. Adding to the complexity is a deficit in suicide prevention research and a limited availability of suicide-specific trainings for clinic-based care providers, staff and learners.
In 2023, the Vermont-based Four Pines Fund made formative philanthropic investments in two initiatives that aim to address these shortfalls and not only prevent suicide deaths but prevent and reduce the tremendous suffering associated with suicidality and all its drivers.
Four Pines Fellowship for Excellence in Suicide Prevention and Treatment
Millions of Americans experience symptoms of a mental health condition each year, and the number of people seeking care is trending upward. The Four Pines Fellowship for Excellence in Suicide Prevention and Treatment was envisioned by Thomas Delaney, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics at The University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, medical educator and mental health researcher.
The fellowship is made possible through philanthropic support from the Four Pines Fund and is the first of its kind, providing suicide prevention-specific research and clinical learning opportunities to cohorts of emerging health care providers. Larner College of Medicine students codesign a short-term research project with a mentor and gain new clinical knowledge and practice skills by observing and working with skilled suicide prevention health care providers. The fellowship is guided by an advisory committee that includes psychiatrists, psychologists, educational specialists and people with lived experience involving suicide. Both Delaney and the Four Pines Fund see this fellowship serving as a model for others across the nation.
"Recent studies show that as many as 80% of individuals who went on to die by suicide saw a health care provider in the months before dying, and strengthening providers’ skills around identifying and responding to suicide risk is a crucial public health strategy for reducing suicide attempt and death rates,” said Delaney. “The Four Pines Fellowship is an opportunity for medical and other health care students at UVM to develop knowledge and skills for addressing suicide and self-harming behaviors, gaining research and clinical experience that will prepare them to be leaders in suicide prevention as they become independent practitioners.”
VCCYF Zero Suicide Fund
The UVM Medical Center’s Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families (VCCYF) outpatient clinic offers child and adolescent psychiatry services to the community, and suicide risk is a primary concern. There are no other academic child and adolescent psychiatry clinics or training programs in Vermont, and overall, very few child and adolescent psychiatrists practice in the state.
The VCCYF Zero Suicide Fund project, led by VCCYF’s Andrew Rosenfeld, MD, will have a direct impact on the youth and families served by the center. The foundational belief of Zero Suicide is that suicide deaths for individuals under the care of health and behavioral health systems are preventable. For systems like the UVM Health Network—dedicated to improving patient safety—Zero Suicide presents an aspirational challenge and practical framework for systemwide transformation toward safer suicide care.
The fund will provide multitiered support, enabling VCCYF to participate in the global Education Development Center’s Zero Suicide Institute (ZSI), identify evidence-based suicide-specific treatments, develop a sustainable training program for clinicians, pinpoint gaps in care and engage in ZSI’s statewide collaboration to learn from and connect with organizations invested in suicide prevention.
Learn More about Support for Suicide Prevention Initiatives
To learn more about investing in suicide prevention initiatives, contact Lauren Mauter, Lauren.Mauter@uvmhealth.org, 802-656-3725.
Learn about Available Resources and Support