New York Capital Connect

The New York State Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center received a five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in September 2022. Grant funds are supporting implementation of a Comprehensive Suicide Prevention model in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties. This five-year project, called Capital Connect, provides a number of resources designed to make a real difference in the lives of at-risk individuals in the region.

While there is no one solution to a complex problem like suicide, over the last two decades one factor has emerged as a lynchpin for overall health: social connectedness. According to the 2023 Surgeon General’s Advisory, feeling connected to others is important not just for our mental health but also our physical health. It also helps reduce the risk of suicide. Capital Connect seeks to support social connectedness in critical, timely ways: in families, in schools, in healthcare, in the workplace, and in communities.