Burlington, Vt. – People struggling with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, or mental health conditions associated with elevated suicide risk, have access to new resources locally with the opening of a specialized outpatient clinic featuring a team of internationally-recognized clinical experts providing leading-edge therapies.

Launched earlier this summer, the Asha Clinic at 1 South Prospect Street is the only program in the region focused exclusively on suicide care. It connects patients with effective treatments proven to reduce suicide attempts and improve quality of life.

The clinic’s work is led by Craig Bryan, PsyD ABPP, an internationally recognized clinician researcher whose work has helped shape clinical practices nationwide. Bryan has spent more than two decades studying suicidal behavior, developing innovative treatments and advancing the science of suicide prevention.

“Asha Clinic represents a fundamental shift in how we think about caring for people experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors,” said Bryan. “Just as patients with complex heart conditions are referred to a cardiology specialist, individuals experiencing suicidal distress deserve access to clinicians with specialized expertise focused on their unique needs.”

Before entering academic medicine, Bryan served as a clinical psychologist in the U.S. Air Force, deploying to Iraq in 2009 where he focused on treating combat stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There he came into direct contact with soldiers who had died by suicide.

“It wasn’t just an academic interest anymore,” Bryan said of how the experience informed his clinical and academic work. “It became deeply personal. It solidified my resolve that this was the work I was going to spend my life doing.”

Today Bryan is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in the treatment of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and numerous foundations. He has published hundreds of scientific articles, written multiple books and received national and international recognition for his work advancing suicide prevention science.

The clinic’s name reflects its mission. Asha, a word meaning ‘hope,’ embodies the clinic’s focus on helping individuals experiencing difficult mental health and life challenges reconnect with purpose and build a path toward recovery. Through specialized care, innovative research and strong community partnerships, UVM Health and University of Vermont, with support from Four Pines Fund, aim to broaden access to and understanding of life-saving suicide care across the region.

“Creating lower-barrier, evidence-based resources and pathways for people to access the right treatment, in the right place and at the right time is critical,” said Stephen Leffler, MD, president and chief executive officer of UVM Health and the president of UVM Medical Center. “Asha Clinic shows how crucial collaboration is to creating these resources for patients, providers and communities. This effort to improve suicide care in our region is going to save lives.”

Four Pines Fund Support

The clinic is funded by support from Four Pines Fund, a Vermont-based philanthropic organization dedicated to expanding access to evidence-based suicide care in the U.S..

The Fund was founded in 2023 by physicians Bill Gottesman, MD, and Debra Lopez Gottesman, MD, following the loss of their son, Alan, to suicide in 2015. After navigating the mental health system alongside Alan, the couple dedicated themselves to closing what they describe as a critical gap between what suicide care research has shown to be effective and the care many patients receive.

“Vermont has long faced rates of suicide that exceed national averages, driven in part by rural isolation and limited access to specialized care. These tragic, untimely deaths create devastating ripple effects across our region,” said Dr. Lopez Gottesman. “Today, Vermont has the opportunity to show the rest of the nation what high-quality, integrated and effective suicide care looks like. By providing rapid access to compassionate, specialized care, we can ensure that when someone reaches out for help, a life-saving door stands wide open.”

Four Pines Fund’s support offered a unique opportunity to bring Bryan and a team of clinicians and researchers to the University of Vermont Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine from The Ohio State University, where Bryan had previously led the development of specialized programs like the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative for Veterans (STRIVE) and treatments like Crisis Response Planning (CRP), a therapy shown in clinical trials to reduce suicidal behavior by 60 percent.

Asha Clinic is part of a broader collaboration between Four Pines Fund, UVM Health and Larner College of Medicine aimed at improving suicide care, education and research in Vermont and the region.

Addressing a Critical Public Health Need

Asha Clinic’s opening comes as suicide remains one of the nation’s most significant public health challenges. Between 2000 and 2024, the U.S. suicide rate rose by more than 35 percent and Vermont’s suicide rate is higher than the region overall. Despite growing awareness, many individuals experiencing suicidal distress never receive treatment designed to address suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

“People experiencing suicidal thoughts deserve the same level of specialized care that we provide for other serious health conditions,” said Robert Althoff, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry for UVM Health. “Asha Clinic was built around the principle of delivering specialized, evidence-based, high-quality care specifically focusing on suicidal thoughts with experts in this area. We are so fortunate to have recruited Dr. Bryan and his team and thankful to Four Pines Fund for making this happen. Our overarching goal is not only to provide care, but to help people build the skills and confidence they need to navigate future challenges and reclaim lives filled with purpose and meaning. As an academic health system, we also will learn how to do it better and teach others to provide this care."

The clinic’s work flows from a growing body of research, led largely by Bryan, showing that suicide-focused interventions can significantly reduce suicide attempts and deaths. Four Pines Fund cites the work of Bryan and other researchers in their call for health care organizations to implement comprehensive, evidence-based suicide care practices.

A Different Model of Suicide Care

Asha Clinic is staffed by a team of 7 clinicians specializing in suicide-related assessment, care and treatment. The team is led by Bryan, who joined UVM Health after serving in leadership positions at Ohio State and the University of Utah, where he helped build nationally recognized programs in suicide prevention research and clinical care.

Unlike traditional outpatient mental health services, Asha Clinic was designed specifically for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or who have recently survived a suicide attempt. Clinicians tailor care to each individual’s unique experiences, circumstances and risk factors, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

The clinic provides comprehensive assessment, specialized psychotherapy, telehealth options, relapse prevention planning, and innovative treatment models designed to increase access for patients across the region’s rural communities. The clinic also incorporates research and continuous evaluation into its model of care. Patient feedback is a key aspect of that work, Bryan said.

“We’re teaching skills that help people manage emotional pain, navigate future crises and build meaningful lives beyond the treatment experience,” said Bryan.

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About Four Pines Fund

Four Pines Fund, established in 2023, is a philanthropic organization dedicated to expanding access to evidence-based suicide care to all who need it. Through strategic investments and partnerships, the Fund aims to close the gap between what research demonstrates is effective and the care people typically receive. Four Pines Fund envisions a future in which all people experiencing suicidal despair can access high-quality care, both inside and outside of clinical settings. The Fund takes a systems-change approach, investing in direct services, training, policy and advocacy, and research to drive lasting impact.

About University of Vermont Medical Center

University of Vermont Health – UVM Medical Center is a 499-bed tertiary care regional referral center and Level I Trauma Center, providing advanced, specialized care to more than 1 million residents across Vermont and northern New York. Home to University of Vermont Cancer Center and University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, we serve as both a high-acuity referral hospital and a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. As part of a rural academic health system, we are driving innovation in rural health care delivery, education and research in close partnership with The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Vermont. Together, we are tackling health care’s toughest challenges while strengthening our communities — addressing critical needs that impact access, affordability and health outcomes.

About University of Vermont Health

University of Vermont Health is a rural academic health system with more than 100 years of service to small towns and cities across Vermont and northern New York. We are deeply committed to reimagining rural health in ways that will benefit our communities for generations to come and keep exceptional care close to home. Our system includes an academic medical center, two community hospitals, three critical access hospitals, a children’s hospital, a cancer center, a multispecialty medical group, 154 outpatient sites and care beyond the hospital through home health, hospice care, four skilled nursing facilities and other support services. Our care is informed by an essential partnership with University of Vermont’s The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Together, as a health system serving a rural area, we are tackling health care’s biggest challenges — supporting the communities we serve and investing in our employees by addressing housing affordability, quality childcare and professional development needs. To learn more, visit us at www.uvmhealth.org