“you, your experience – together, our voice”
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“You, Your Experience – Together, Our Voice”. Welcome John Madigan – Senior Director of Public Policy, AFSP. “You, Your Experience – Together, Our Voice”. 2011 Chapter Public Policy Survey Results Nancy Farrell– Chair, State and Local Policy Subcommittee. AFSP Public Policy Council. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
“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 – [email protected]
202-449-3600 ext. 103
Trevor Summerfield –[email protected]
202-449-3600 ext. 102
THANK YOU!