NAMI E-News March 11, 2004
> Vol. 4-17
> ________________________________________________
>
> Federal Legislation Introduced to Help End Youth Suicide
>
> On Monday, March 8, 2004, Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH),
> Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Gordon Smith (R-OR) introduced
> the Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention
> Expansion Act of 2004 (Senate bill 2175). A week earlier,
> Senator DeWine had convened a hearing that made patently
> clear that youth suicide represents a public health crisis
> in our nation.
>
> About every 2 hours, a young person under the age of 25
> commits suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of
> death in youth aged 10 to 24. Tragically, over 4,000 young
> lives are lost each year to suicide. Studies show that 90%
> of youth that commit suicide were suffering from a
> diagnosable and treatable mental illness at the time of
> their death. It is difficult to imagine the unthinkable
> pain that parents and families suffer when a child is lost
> to suicide.
>
> This legislation - S. 2175 - will help state and local
> governments and non-profit organizations address this
> public health crisis by assisting in their efforts to
> develop and implement statewide youth suicide early
> intervention and prevention strategies. These strategies
> will help ensure that services reach youth and their
> families in their communities, in schools, juvenile justice
> systems, substance abuse programs, mental health programs,
> foster care systems and other child serving organizations.
>
> Grants authorized under this legislation will help to
> reduce youth suicides through statewide screening for youth
> at risk for emotional or behavioral disorders and early
> intervention with links to community-based mental health
> and other appropriate services. It promotes accountability
> from those awarded grants by requiring an evaluation of and
> reporting on the effectiveness and efficacy of the suicide
> prevention and early intervention activities. Those awarded
> grants must also develop community awareness campaigns on
> risk factors associated with youth suicide and the care
> available from early intervention and prevention services.
>
> The Senate bill (S. 2175) was introduced and referred to
> the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
> committee.
>
> Action Needed
>
> Please contact your Senators and ask for their co-
> sponsorship and support of this critically important
> legislation. If your Senator is a member of the HELP
> Committee, please contact them and ask for their support of
> this legislation (a list of HELP committee members can be
> found on their web site at labor.senate.gov).
>
> Also, please thank current Congressional sponsors and co-
> sponsors of this critically important legislation:
>
> Senate Sponsor and Co-Sponsors
>
> Senator DeWine (R-OH), Senator Dodd (D-CT), Senator Smith
> (R-OR) and Senator Reid (D-NV).
>
> A sample letter on this topic that you can send to your
> Senator is accessible at www.nami.org/enews4-17
>
> Thank you for your continuing advocacy on these important
> issues.
>
> __________________
>
> Please do not reply to this message. This is a
> post-only e-mail.
>
> If you do not wish to receive future editions of
> NAMI e-News, please send your request to
> [email protected]
>