About the Cohort

Over the past several decades, suicide has grown as a national crisis, with rates rising more than 30% in 25 states between 1999 and 2016. In Missouri, where firearms are the leading means of suicide by a wide margin, suicide rates have grown even faster than the national average.

Firearms are a uniquely lethal means of suicide - In Missouri, 6 out of every 10 suicides involve a firearm, with approximately 85% of attempts ending in death. This means people in periods of crisis often do not get a second chance if they attempt suicide with a firearm.

Despite the tragic out-sized role firearms play in a majority of suicides in the region, strategies to address firearm suicide are absent or underdeveloped within statewide and community-based suicide prevention plans.

This preventable crisis is why organizations across the state of Missouri are taking part in a collaborative learning experience to develop, implement, and evaluate community-based strategies to address the issue — the Missouri Firearm Suicide Prevention Learning Cohort. Convened and funded by Missouri Foundation for Health, the cohort brings together 8 organizations working on 7 local-level approaches to addressing firearm suicide. These organizations are supported by a range of mental health, firearm, and community engagement experts and build on emerging best practices in the field.

The cohort is facilitated by Openfields, a social innovation consulting firm, which provides training in human-centered design, focused strategic planning, and data analytics support for all participants.

 During 2021-2022 Planning Phase, the cohort worked together to:

  • Develop effective models, projects, collaborations, and campaigns

  • Cultivate a safe space to examine complex issues, challenge assumptions, share ideas, develop projects, and celebrate shared learning and success

  • Learn more about the history, causes, and reality of firearm suicide

  • Design with people and partners in local communities

  • Ground our work in data, and ensure we have effective feedback loops to drive date-informed decisions and design

Early-Stage Implementation

As of 2023, cohort organizations have started implementing targeted firearm suicide prevention (FSP) initiatives in their communities, each with a specific target populations and tailored approaches.

To learn more about this work, please contact Grady Powell at grady@openfields.com.