CAPES Suicide Prevention

Interested in brining hope to those affected by su***de? Join CAPES at the annual Massachusetts American Foundation for Su***de Prevention Out of the Darkness Walk!

When: Saturday September 26, 2026 9AM registration, 10:30AM walk time

Where: Polar Park, Worcester MA

How: Register with the CAPES team on our events page or link in our story or on the Events page of the CAPES website https://www.umassmed.edu/capes/events/

Our goal is to double our contributions last year and raise $5,000 for su***de prevention
Please consider donating and/or walking with us. You don't have to walk to donate.

All donations are 100% tax deductible and benefit the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention (AFSP), funding research, education, advocacy, and support for those affected by su***de.

CAPES Evaluation Core is excited to share our Year 3 Impact Report which highlights our Center’s work to prevent su***de and accelerate delivery of evidence-based, compassionate su***de care.

Several important leadership transitions occurred in Year 3. Dr. Catarina Kiefe stepped down from her role as Co-Director of CAPES upon her retirement. Dr. Sharina Persons assumed her role as Co-Director of the Methods Core and has provided strong leadership in advancing the Core’s methodological contributions. Dr. Kathryn Sabella also became Lead of the Evaluation Unit. These changes have strengthened CAPES’ organizational capacity and positioned the Center for continued growth.

CAPES also continued to expand and diversify its funding portfolio to enhance long
term sustainability and broaden the impact of its work, including ~32 million in newly funded projects.

In Year 3, CAPES faculty published over 125 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact
journals, contributing to a growing body of work spanning su***de prevention, mental health, digital health, artificial intelligence, and implementation science.

We recognize the hard work of our Evaluation Unit, and all our faculty, staff, scholars, consultants, and partners who have collaborated and pushed the field of su***de prevention forward.

We'd like to welcome Daniel J. Amante, PhD, MPH, as new Lead of the Education and Development Unit, and Co-Lead of the Implementation Science Unit of CAPES.

Dr. Amante is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Health Informatics and Implementation Science within the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School.

Dr. Amante is an implementation scientist whose research focuses on developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions to improve healthcare delivery and population health outcomes. His work integrates implementation science, health informatics, user-centered design, and behavioral science to accelerate the adoption, scale-up, and sustainment of innovations in real-world healthcare settings. He has led and collaborated on numerous federally funded studies examining digital health technologies, patient engagement strategies, care delivery interventions, and learning health systems.

Dr. Amante's methodological expertise includes hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs, pragmatic clinical trials, mixed methods research, implementation strategy development, and the application of implementation frameworks. Through his research, teaching, and mentorship activities, he seeks to advance implementation science methods and strengthen the translation of evidence into practice. He is excited to bring his expertise in implementation science, digital health, and health system transformation to advance the mission of CAPES.
Read more about Dr. Amante here: https://buff.ly/IunWM90

Join CAPES at this year’s Massachusetts American Foundation for Su***de Prevention Out of the Darkness Walk!

When: Saturday 9/26/26 9AM registration, 10:30AM walk time

Where: Polar Park, Worcester MA

How: Register with the CAPES team on our events page or link in our story or on the Events page of the CAPES website

Our goal is to double our contributions last year and raise $5,000 for su***de prevention
Please consider donating and/or walking with us (you don't have to walk to donate!)

https://www.umassmed.edu/capes/events/

Save the Date for the 2026 Out of Darkness Walk at Polar Park in Worcester MA on Saturday Sept 26, 2026 at 10:30AM (registration starts at 9AM). Last year, CAPES faculty and staff raised $2,500 for su***de prevention in our community and look forward to walking together again in September.

You can also visit the "Events" tab of our website to learn more and register. All donations are 100% tax deductible and benefit the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention (AFSP), funding research, education, advocacy, and support for those affected by su***de.

We walk in solidarity with faculty, staff, and scholars of CAPES at UMass Chan Medical School, WPI, UMass Lowell, and UMass Amherst. Our aspirational goal is to transform healthcare systems to prevent all su***de deaths and welcome other local folks, like our colleagues in the Central MA Su***de Prevention Coalition, to join our team!

You can also support us by registering to walk with our team here: https://afspwalks.donordrive.com/team/367312

UMass Chan Medical School’s Center of Accelerating Practices to End Su***de CAPES Su***de Prevention is launching Project Catalyst – an effort to give hospitals and emergency departments better tools and training to care for patients at risk of su***de.

Drs. Boudreaux, Mullin, Davis-Martin, Kelly, Stran, Dunlap, and Rahmoun lead the CAPES Su***de Prevention team. Dr. Tony Pisani and SafeSide Prevention is partnering with CAPES Su***de Prevention on training design and delivery.

Project Catalyst pairs software – the Su***de Care Catalyst – with evidence-based training and live consultation. The software will help health systems build su***de care protocols for emergency departments and inpatient units. Live training and professional consultation will complement the software and online training modules for deeper skill development. Training will prepare frontline clinicians and staff to meet national practice standards. CAPES plans to prototype and test the approach in 10 U.S. hospitals.

This program is supported by Four Pines Fund, a philanthropic organization dedicated to expanding access to effective su***de care for all who need it. Our effort is one of a collective of five grants made by Four Pines Fund in 2026 to accelerate the national implementation of effective su***de practices in health organizations. For more information, visit

Home - Four Pines Fund Su***de Care Saves Lives Four Pines Fund is a philanthropic organization dedicated to expanding access to evidence-based su***de care to all who need it. Effective su***de care has been demonstrated to reduce su***de attempts and deaths by up to 75% 25% decline in su***de attempts in the 90 day...

If someone you love faces mental health and substance use challenges, you are not alone and neither are they. Support exists for the whole family. Learn more by clicking this link: https://ow.ly/rGCP50YNJ11


SAMHSA
Mental Health America
NAMI
CAPES Su***de Prevention

We're sharing national lifelines for Mental Health Awareness Month. Crisis Lifelines are numbers you can call or text to receive support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The person you talk to will be trained to help people who are in crisis and people who are having suicidal thoughts. You can also call when you’re not in a crisis, but still want support.

National Su***de Prevention Lifeline: 9-8-8
The previous number still works too: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
National Su***de Prevention Lifeline (español): 9-8-8 OR 1-888-628-9454
National Su***de Prevention Textline: Text HOME to 9-8-8 OR 741-741
National Su***de Prevention Online Chat: https://988lifeline.org

Visit our website to see more helpline options as well as a variety of other supports for mental health. Feel free to share a resource in the comments!

https://www.umassmed.edu/capes/looking-for-help/looking-for-help-for-myself/

As part of Menal Health Awareness month, we are sharing some resources from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and resharing resources cultivated.

Mental health touches every one of us either directly or through someone we love. Let’s commit to talking about it with the care and honesty it deserves. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/facts If you are looking to support something who may be struggling with a mental health condition, see our "Looking for help for someone else" page for ideas and resources https://www.umassmed.edu/capes/looking-for-help/how-to-get-help-for-someone-else/

When it comes to talking about su***de research, many of us are aware of the media guidelines for responsible media reporting (e.g., from Reporting on Su***de, the World Health Organization, and Samaritans). As researchers, we have a part to play in responsible reporting and sharing of su***de research findings with the public. See our "For Researchers" page to see our tipsheet "Best practices for public dissemination and language on su***de research." https://www.umassmed.edu/capes/researchers/