Project Summary:
Suicide remains a critical public health concern in Wisconsin, with rates consistently exceeding national averages and disproportionately impacting rural communities, including western Wisconsin and La Crosse County. Hmong American populations face additional barriers to behavioral health care, including limited English proficiency, cultural stigma surrounding mental health, and a lack of culturally responsive services.
As a result, many individuals do not engage with care until symptoms have escalated to crisis levels, highlighting a need for earlier identification and culturally grounded pathways to support. This project will establish a community-led suicide prevention model at the Hmong Cultural & Community Center (HCCC), a trusted organization serving more than 1,500 individuals annually. The project adapts key elements of the Zero Suicide framework for a community setting, focusing on early identification, relationship-based engagement, and coordinated transitions to care. HCCC staff and partners will be trained in suicide prevention and response, and a Community Health Worker will be embedded to support navigation, follow-up, and connection to services. Partnerships with clinical providers will ensure timely access to behavioral health care through warm handoffs and coordinated care pathways.
The intended impact is to reduce suicide risk and improve equitable access to care by identifying individuals earlier, increasing engagement with behavioral health services, and reducing reliance on crisis-level intervention. The project will also build sustainable capacity within HCCC through training, workflow integration, and development of a replicable model that can be adapted for other communities across Wisconsin.
Community Partners: St. Clare Health Mission, River’s Edge Consulting, Emplify Health