New National Strategy Attempts to Reduce Suicide Deaths

Native News Network Staff in Native Health. Discussion »

WASHINGTON – Monday on World Suicide Prevention Day, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) released an ambitious national strategy to reduce the number of deaths by suicide. The strategy was called for by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates when they launched the Action Alliance on Sept. 10, 2010.

The 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a report from the US Surgeon General and the Action Alliance, details 13 goals and 60 objectives for reducing suicides over the next 10 years.

The Center for Native American Youth's director, Erin Bailey, serves on the American Indian and Alaska Native Taskforce of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and through this participation has been working to ensure that young people in Indian country are considered in the development of the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

“ We hope that the new National Strategy translates to more Native American youth being prioritized and more resources becoming available to tribal and urban Indian communities to end the tragedy of suicide amongst our youngest First Americans,”

commented Erin Bailey.

The Action Alliance, co-chaired by former US Senator Gordon Smith, chief executive of the National Association of Broadcasters, and Army Secretary John McHugh, highlights four immediate priorities to reduce the number of suicides: integrating suicide prevention into health care policies; encouraging the transformation of health care systems to prevent suicide; changing the way the public talks about suicide and suicide prevention; and improving the quality of data on suicidal behaviors to develop increasingly effective prevention efforts.

The Obama Administration also announced a series of activities that will help prevent suicide:

Secretary Sebelius announced $55.6 million in new grants for national, state, tribal, campus and community suicide prevention programs made possible under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act and partially funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund under the Affordable Care Act, the health care law enacted in 2010.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched, Stand by Them: Help a Veteran, a joint VA-Department of Defense outreach campaign that includes a new public service announcement, Side by Side, designed to help prevent suicide among veterans and service members and focuses on the important role family and community play in supporting Veterans in crisis. Throughout September and beyond, VA and Department of Defense are urging community-based organizations, Veterans Service Organizations, health care providers, private companies and other government agencies to connect Veterans and Service members in need of assistance to the Veterans Crisis Line (1.800.273.8255, press 1). Additionally, as directed by President Obama's Mental Health Executive Order issued August 31st, the VA is also increasing the workforce of the Crisis Line by 50 percent and hiring 1,600 new mental health professionals.

“Our message today is one of hope,”

Secretary Sebelius said.

“The national strategy will bring together the nation's resources, both public and private, in an organized effort to provide life saving services and improve the ability of individuals, friends and family members to recognize the warning signs of despair and take action to save lives.”

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posted September 11, 2012 8:59 am edt