Department of Defense
DIRECTIVE
NUMBER 6490.14
June 18, 2013
Incorporating Change 1, Effective April 1, 2016
USD(P&R)
SUBJECT: Defense Suicide Prevention Program
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE. This directive
a. Establishes policy and assigns responsibilities for implementation of the Defense Suicide
Prevention Program in accordance with the recommendations of the final report of the
Department of Defense Task Force on Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces
(Reference (a)) pursuant to section 733 of Public Law (PL) 110-417 (Reference (b)), section 533
of PL 112-81 (Reference (c)), and sections 580-583 of PL 112-239 (Reference (d)).
b. Establishes the Suicide Prevention General Officer Steering Committee (SPGOSC) and
the Suicide Prevention and Risk Reduction Committee (SPARRC) under the authority of DoD
Instruction (DoDI) 5105.18 (Reference (e)).
2. APPLICABILITY. This directive applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the DoD (referred to collectively in
this directive as the “DoD Components”).
3. POLICY. It is DoD policy to:
a. Take substantial efforts to reduce suicide.
b. Require the Military Services to foster a command climate that:
(1) Encourages personnel to seek help and build resilience.
(2) Increases awareness about behavioral health and reduces stigma for personnel who
seek behavioral healthcare in accordance with DoDI 6490.08 (Reference (f)).
