CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// 
ROUTINE 
R 011751Z OCT 24 MID120001427989U 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC 
TO NAVADMIN 
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC 
BT 
UNCLAS 
 
NAVADMIN 205/24 
 
PASS TO OFFICE CODES: 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// 
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// 
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/OCT// 
 
SUBJ/SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH// 
 
RMKS/1.  September was Suicide Prevention Month.  This year's 
Department of Defense theme of "Joining Your Fight: Connect to 
Protect," is a year-long campaign to raise awareness, connection, 
safety and hope across the military community. This message is a 
reminder that suicide prevention must be a sustained focus 
throughout the entire year. 
 
2.  Suicide prevention is an all-hands effort.  It begins with 
setting the foundation for building Great People, Leaders and Teams 
as outlined in the Culture of Excellence (COE) 2.0, released with 
NAVADMIN 051/24 in March 2024. 
    a.  The COE 2.0 Placemat provides a Navy standard for "what 
right looks like," and a self-assessment tool for key programs, 
moving beyond checklists and towards real outcomes. 
    b.  The COE 2.0 Playbook aligns existing Navy programs essential 
to developing great culture. 
 
3.  Effective suicide prevention is dependent on Navy units having a 
command-wide climate built on trust and respect that builds 
connection, safety and cohesion within their unit.  There is no 
checklist for building great culture.  Success is based on bringing 
key principles to life through consistent action.  Measuring 
progress on building great culture and climates is achieved through 
the Command Climate Assessment process.  NAVADMIN 152/24, Calendar 
Year 2024 Command Climate Assessments, provides guidance and 
responsibilities for command leaders. 
 
4.  Building on the foundation, the Mental Health Playbook (V1.1) is 
designed to assist Navy leaders in preventing, mitigating, or 
addressing mental health issues within their commands.  This work 
begins well before a mental health issue occurs.  It starts with the 
culture our leaders create and how they lead the people in their 
care.  These strategies are designed to identify and respond to 
Sailor stressors before the issues become acute. 
 
5.  A goal of all units should be to build a culture where Sailors 
ask for help before a crisis occurs.  Additionally, suicide 
prevention should be part of a command's daily business, and every 
member of our Navy team should be prepared to recognize warning 
signs and provide our people the help and care they need.  Response 
Plans should be prepared, practiced, and executed with the same 
level of care as a warfighting tactic, technique, or procedure. 
Best practices include: 
    a.  Consistent, active messaging about suicide prevention at all 
levels of the chain of command, to include comprehensive Lethal 
Means Safety initiatives. 
    b.  Conduct meaningful, discussion-based annual Suicide 
Prevention Training that encourages active peer-to-peer engagement 
and awareness, through programs such as "Project One Small ACT (Ask- 
Care-Treat)," "No Wrong Door," and "SafeTALK." 
    c.  Accurately and quickly report any Suicide, Suicide Attempt, 
or Suicide Related Behavior, executing postvention protocols for 
each. 
    d.  If a Suicide Attempt, or Suicide Related Behavior occurs, 
ensure 100 percent referral to the Sailor Assistance and Intercept 
for Life (SAIL) program for Active Duty Sailors. 
    e.  Develop and practice a command Crisis Response Plan 
annually. 
    f.  If a suicide death occurs, precisely execute postvention 
protocols, putting special emphasis on effective messaging. 
    g.  The Suicide Related Behavior Response and Postvention Guide 
is designed to ensure effective reintegration for any person who 
leaves the command for mental health or suicide related reasons. 
The guide provides streamlined references to suicide crisis 
response, suicide related behavior response, reintegration, and 
suicide postvention. 
 
6.  In line with MILPERSMAN 1320-307, Warm Hand-Off Fact Sheet 
released in December 2023, Commanders must ensure warm hand-offs 
occur between losing and gaining command triads before a Sailor with 
known challenges or issues is transferred, regardless of type of 
orders.  The warm hand-off must consist of positive contact between 
both triads. 
 
7.  Commanders' Risk Mitigation Dashboard-CRMD is a tool for 
Commanders to better understand the level of destructive behavior 
risk within their commands and take appropriate mitigation measures. 
The tool provides Action Plans that contain prioritized lists of 
actions commands can take to mitigate risk. 
 
8.  Numerous resources are available for commands, Service Members 
and their families. 
    a.  Service Members are encouraged to use all resources 
available to improve mental well-being.  They may self-refer to 
mental health services without chain of command involvement and 
utilize the mental health care roadmap located on the back of the 
Mental Health Playbook for resources on access to care. 
    b.  The NAVADMIN 166/23, Self-Initiated Referral Process for 
Mental Health Evaluations of Service Members was established.  Any 
Service Member serving on Active Duty with a Navy command who 
specifically requests a Mental Health Evaluation (MHE) must be 
scheduled for an appointment with a uniformed mental health 
provider, a local military mental health clinic or closest military 
treatment facility as soon as practicable and provided the 
opportunity to attend. 
    c.  Chaplains are also a significant part of our continuum of 
care.  Chaplains offer a uniquely protected confidentiality to our 
Sailors that makes them a safe place to start seeking care.  If you 
or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or 
feelings, you can reach out to a chaplain. 
    d.  Service Members within the Continental United States (CONUS) 
experiencing suicidal ideation should call the Veterans Crisis Line 
at 988 and press 1, text 838255, or go directly to the nearest 
emergency room. 
    e.  Service Members outside the Continental United States 
(OCONUS) experiencing suicidal ideation should call DSN; Europe:   
1 844-702-5495; Southwest Asia:  1 855-422-7719; Pacific:  1 844-702-5493  
or go to the nearest military treatment facility. 
Alternatively, Service Members can open a chat at 
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/military-crisis-line. 
 
9.  The point of contact for Navy specific suicide prevention 
questions is the Navy Culture and Force Resilience Office via e-mail 
at suicideprevention@navy.mil.  More information can be found at: 
https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Support-Services/Culture-Resilience/ 
 
10.  Released by Vice Admiral Richard J. Cheeseman, Jr., N1.// 
 
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