“You, Your Experience – Together, Our Voice”

WelcomeJohn Madigan – Senior Director of Public Policy, AFSP

“You, Your Experience – Together, Our Voice”

2011 Chapter Public PolicySurvey Results

Nancy Farrell– Chair, State and Local Policy Subcommittee

AFSP Public Policy Council

Michael Ballard (Chair) – VirginiaKeith Cherry – PennsylvaniaCharles Curie – Maryland

Nancy Farrell – MassachusettsSean Gerow – New YorkCarol Graham – Georgia

Sean Joe – MichiganPhilip Ninan - Georgia

Laurie Raines – VirginiaAnne Reinke – Washington, DC

Charles Reynolds – PennsylvaniaLeslie Scallet (Vice-Chair) – Washington, DC

AFSP State/Local Policy Subcommittee

Steve Blackwood – ArkansasLisa Brattain – Indiana

Nancy Farrell (Chair) – MassachusettsTodd Handler – California

Mary Weiler – North Dakota

GOALS (2012-2020):

1.Identify major public policy challenges that confront us in advancing suicide prevention2.Create a framework to guide the selection of annual legislative and regulatory priorities at the federal, state and local level3.Provide a context for considering emerging issues

AFSP STRATEGIC POLICY TASK FORCE (SPTF)

“AFSP is the only organization of its kind in the field of suicide prevention, education and research. It will be the responsibility of the Task Force to get ‘all points of view’ as we start to complete this important endeavor.”

– Leslie Scallet, Chair SPTF

AFSP SPTF MEMBERS

Nancy Farrell – AFSP, Massachusetts

Arana Greenberg – AFSP, California

Nadine Kaslow – Emory University, Georgia

Maury Lieberman – AFSP Board Member, District of Columbia

Danna Mauch – Abt Associates, Massachusetts

Peter Newbould – American Psychological Association, District of Columbia

Joe Perpich – Psychiatrist, Lawyer, District of Columbia

Leslie Scallet – Vice-Chair, AFSP Public Policy Council, District of Columbia

Mike Ballard – ex-officio – Chair, AFSP Public Policy Council, Virginia

Robert Gebbia – ex-officio – AFSP Executive Director, New York

John Madigan – ex-officio – AFSP Senior Director of Public Policy, District of

Columbia

• Surveys were completed by 97* individuals from 23 states and the District of Columbia

• The following states with AFSP chapters submitted the most survey responses:

• California and New York (9)• Illinois (8)• Florida (5)• Georgia (4) • Arkansas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Texas (3)

*Out of a total of 209 surveys sent out (some responses a result of collective input)

AFSP PUBLIC POLICY SURVEY RESULTS

WHO SUBMITTED RESPONSES?

Public Policy Survey responses were submitted by: Chapter Board Officers (36) Chapter Board Members (11) Chapter Advocacy Committee Chairs or Members (8) AFSP Volunteers (16) Chapter Staff (9) Other (17)

Includes health professionals, survivors of a suicide attempt, crisis workers, and other professionals

69 respondents also identified as suicide survivors43 respondents also identified as Field Advocates

#5 WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE 3 BIGGEST BARRIERS TO EFFORTS TO REDUCE SUICIDE IN THE UNITED STATES?

Of the 96 responses: Stigma (62) Funding of suicide prevention programs/activities (28) Access to services (19) Public ignorance/awareness (17)

#6 WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS OR SHOULD BE DOING TO ADDRESS

THE PROBLEM OF SUICIDE?

Of the 94 responses, the most common to appear were: Increased efforts around public education and

federally backed anti-stigma campaigns (43) Providing for better access and funding of mental

health services (23) Increased funding into research on suicide (15) Mental health/suicide prevention training programs

(6)

#7 WHAT DO YOU THINK STATE GOVERNMENTS SHOULD DO THAT WOULD HELP PREVENT SUICIDE?

Of the 93 responses to this question, the following appeared the most: Mandate suicide prevention training and education (52) Increase access to mental health care (12) Acknowledge that suicide is a statewide

problem/prevention is a statewide priority and increase awareness (9)

Implement/update a statewide suicide prevention plan and ensure the plan is being followed, or provide for a state office of suicide prevention (8)

Support local suicide prevention efforts (5) Allocate/increase funding for all the above areas (25)

#8 ARE THERE IDEAS, POLICIES OR APPROACHES TO SUICIDE PREVENTION THAT WE COULD LEARN FROM

OTHER COUNTRIES?

Of the 63 responses, the most common were: Don’t know/Need more information (42) Mental Health First Aid, Australia – Described as a useful

crash course in crisis intervention, substance abuse and mental illness for the lay person (2)

Unique responses included (descriptions provided by respondent): An effort in Scotland to educate their public sector workers

that include cab drivers, bus drivers and police officers about signs of depression and suicide warning signs

An effort in Bhutan that measures “gross national happiness,” the idea being that by measuring this it would bring about a constant, ongoing awareness of mental health

#9 WHERE DO YOU THINK THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES LIE FOR MAKING PROGRESS TO PREVENT OR REDUCE SUICIDE IN THE U.S.?

The 92 responses included: General public education about suicide prevention,

depression, crisis intervention Make more people aware of what resources are

available in the community Training in best practices for medical professionals,

school personnel and law enforcement in dealing with those clearly at risk

LGBT and Native American communities Celebrity endorsements to break stigma Talking to and education of youth at earliest age

appropriate Educating media about how to report on suicide and on

suicide prevention activities

# 10 WHAT NATIONAL, STATE OR LOCAL GROUPS DO YOU FIND EFFECTIVE IN PROMOTING SUICIDE PREVENTION?

Of the 84 responses: AFSP/Out of the Darkness Walks (25) National Alliance on Mental Illness (5) Trevor Project (5) Suicide Prevention Resource Center (3) SPAN Georgia, American Association of Suicidology, Mental

Health America (2)Other responses included:

Arkansas Suicide Prevention Network National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Los Angeles Department of Health San Francisco Suicide Prevention Statewide Advocacy for Veterans Empowerment

[Massachusetts] Texas Suicide Prevention Council University of Michigan Depression Center

#11 WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE LEADING DOMESTIC PUBLIC POICY DEBATES IN THE COMING YEARS THAT MAY HAVE

AN EFFECT ON THE PROBLEM OF SUICIDE?

Of the 78 responses, the most common included: Access to health care treatment/health care reform

implementation/mental health parity (41) Military/Veteran suicides and mental health of the

veteran population (10) Federal/State budget circumstances that will lead to

cuts in mental health services, funding of suicide prevention programs (8)

Bullying (6) Gun control (5) LGBTQ related issues (3)

#12 WHAT DO YOU THINK IS BEING DONE ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION THAT IS NOT WORKING OUT WELL AND NEEDS TO BE

IMPROVED?

Of the 73 responses to this question: Education and training in schools, health care

settings, places of employment and for community members at the grassroots level (27)

Collaboration and communication; duplication of efforts (13)

Funding levels for rural communities, high-risk groups, research, training and staffing (11)

Combating stigma and increasing awareness (8) Access to quality care (6) Media campaigns around suicide prevention (6) Promotion of evidence-based programs (5)

# 13 IN YOUR WORK, IS SUICIDE SOMETHING YOU ENCOUNTER? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE CHANGED THAT WOULD

MAKE YOUR WORK EASIER OR MORE EFFECTIVE?

Of the 81 responses, 50 individuals reported encountering suicide as part of their work

A total of 42 respondents offered suggestions for change; the most common included: Need for training of groups like media, law enforcement,

medical professionals, military family/friends and school personnel (14)

Need for funding of suicide prevention/mental health programs and services (14)

Increased collaboration and communication (8) Increased number of programs/resources for survivors (7) Need for suicide prevention knowledge/resources, including

culturally appropriate resources, within the health care system (6)

# 14 ARE THERE ISSUES RELATED TO SUICIDE PREVENTION THAT YOU THINK THE AFSP PUBLIC POLICY OFFICE NEEDS TO TAKE A

LOOK AT?

Of the 72 responses, 4 unique issues were presented: Requiring labels on gun safety locks to have the toll-free suicide hotline

number Changing laws to get mental health treatment for people like the recent

Tucson shooter States looking to take away the right to vote for those people with

mental health issues Are survivors more at risk of suicide themselves?

Current issue areas needing more attention: State cutbacks in suicide prevention programs and services LGBT/Native American youth Bullying Media issues – reporting/not reporting, contagion issues Bridge barriers Military/Veteran suicide Funding of mental health programs More work on the connection of substance and alcohol abuse to suicide Insurance companies not paying on policies of those who die by suicide

For more information contact:

John Madigan – jmadigan@afsp.org

202-449-3600 ext. 103

Trevor Summerfield –tsummerfield@afsp.org

202-449-3600 ext. 102

THANK YOU!