Tennessee State Facts

Tennessee’s suicide prevention activities are led by the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN), the statewide public-private organization responsible for implementing the Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention. TSPN is overseen by the gubernatorial appointed Tennessee Suicide Prevention Advisory Council, an independent, non-partisan, voluntary group of individuals, organizations, and public and private agencies who promote community awareness of the signs of suicide and intervention strategies for the prevention of suicide. Each year, TSPN publishes Status of Suicide in Tennessee, an annual report intended to provide state legislators, mental health professionals, and the general public with information on the problem of suicide in the state and what is being done to prevent it. The Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention, most recently revised in 2019, is the state’s guiding suicide prevention document and shapes TSPN’s outreach, education, and awareness efforts throughout the state of Tennessee. Additional state suicide prevention initiatives and programs are housed within the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services.