Reps. Raskin and Bacon Introduce New Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Care

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) introduced new bipartisan legislation, the Stabilization to Prevent (STOP) Suicide Act, to expand access to evidence-based stabilization care for individuals with serious thoughts of suicide.

Stabilization services can help patients reduce or eliminate imminent suicide risk and manage dangerous impulses, keeping them safe while relieving pressure on law enforcement and emergency rooms. This legislation will create a new grant program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand access to effective and timely outpatient and virtual stabilization care and treatment.

"America is plagued by a mental health epidemic, and too many families have experienced the anguish of losing a loved one to mental illness and suicide," said Rep. Raskin. "The STOP Suicide Act will provide relief to Americans suffering from serious thoughts of suicide and crucial new support for the health care professionals who treat them, infusing resources into stabilization and crisis care services. I thank Rep. Bacon for his partnership on this profoundly important legislation."

"People experiencing serious thoughts of suicide often find themselves without support and timely treatment," said Rep. Bacon. "This bill will provide an important tool that will help create needed programs to deliver outpatient or telehealth stabilization services. I'm pleased to join Rep. Raskin on this legislation that will help community health centers, rural health clinics, and others create and manage these programs."

"Suicide is an urgent public health issue, with nearly 50,000 lives lost to suicide and 13.2 million people reporting seriously considering suicide in the United States in 2022," said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "AFSP is proud to support the Stabilization to Prevent (STOP) Suicide Act, which will help connect people with serious thoughts of suicide to support systems quickly and safely. Stabilizing people with serious thoughts of suicide relieves pressure on emergency departments and law enforcement, helping people access immediate interventions in their communities while connecting them with follow up care and other supports to manage risk. AFSP is grateful to Representative Raskin and Representative Bacon for their leadership on this important legislation."

"The STOP Suicide Act will provide critical funding to increase crisis stabilization services for people struggling with suicidal risk. These services will bridge the gap between calling the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and hospitalization. I applaud Congressmen Raskin and Bacon for their bipartisan leadership on this landmark bill and I urge Congress to enact this historic legislation to decrease the suffering of 16 million Americans to help save lives," said David A. Jobes, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory at the Catholic University of America and constituent of Rep. Raskin.

Read what additional supporters are saying about the STOP Suicide Act here.

Individuals experiencing thoughts of suicide can reach a trained counselor 24/7/365 by calling the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Counselors can also be reached by text message or online chat. Visit their website for more information.

The legislation is endorsed by a broad-based coalition of mental health and suicide prevention advocacy organizations, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Psychological Association Services, the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), the Children's Hospital Association, EveryMind, The Hope Institute of America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the National League for Nursing, Sheppard Pratt, Trust for America's Health and Vibrant Emotional Health.

Read the full text of the STOP Suicide Act here.

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Permalink: https://raskin.house.gov/2024/9/reps-raskin-and-bacon-introduce-new-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-evidence-based-suicide-prevention-care