What is the Action Alliance?

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention is the public-private partnership advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Our vision is a nation free from the tragic experience of suicide and our mission is to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) by:

• Championing suicide prevention as a national priority 
• Catalyzing efforts to implement high priority objectives of the NSSP 
• Cultivating the resources needed to sustain progress

Our leadership consists of a public sector and private sector co-chair, as well as an extensive group of Executive Committee members. Our public sector co-chair is the The Honorable John M. McHugh (Secretary of the Army) and our private sector co-chair is the The Honorable Gordon H. Smith (President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters). You can read more about our Executive Committee on our leadership page. The secretariat team from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center supports the operations of the Action Alliance.

Suicide is a major public health issue, taking life without regard to age, income, education, social standing, race, or gender. Overall, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans, the 2nd leading cause of death for adults ages 25-34, and the 3rd leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. The legacy of suicide continues long after the death, impacting bereaved loved ones and communities. State and local prevention efforts are having a positive impact, as shown by decreasing suicide rates among teenage and elder males, two of the hardest hit groups. Suicide is a serious and preventable public health problem and the time to change these statistics is now.