PEAK: Suicide launches

In light of the urgent need to improve mental health care for children in emergency settings, on Oct. 10—World Mental Health Day—the Knowledge Management Domain released its newest Pediatric Education and Advocacy Kit (PEAK) on the topic of suicide.

PEAK: Suicide includes 15 multidisciplinary resources created, synthesized, and vetted through the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC) Knowledge Management Domain working with its steering committee, EIIC’s collaborative partners, and others. The resources range from a bottom-line recommendation developed with Canada’s Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids program to educational handouts for families to podcasts with leading clinical experts. All resources are free and open access and more will be added over time, including a resource for prehospital practitioners.

Through these latest resources, individuals can: learn how to properly screen for pediatric suicide risk and assess acuity, develop safety plans, advocate for improved mental health care, and create care pathways to improve care for children and adolescents in crisis. The resources can also be shared and used as teaching materials.

The kit comes at a pivotal time—on Oct. 19, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in children’s mental health.

This is the Knowledge Management Domain’s second PEAK. The first focused on status epilepticus. Its next PEAK, slated for release late this fall, will cover agitation.

PEAKs are typically developed over six months and are iteratively and continually updated. Each PEAK goes through a comprehensive vetting process, including feedback received through the Knowledge management Early Access Program (KEAP).