Home SPRC > Policy and Legislation

Scope Note: Local, state, and national legislation or bills; policies related to suicide prevention in schools and work settings, including crisis response/management policies; mental health parity laws, other policies related to mental health

2007 State legislation, policy trends & synopsis, FY2007: Suicide prevention and mental health
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/stateleg07.pdf
A summary of state policy trends, along with a state-by-state listing of legislation passed during the 2007 federal fiscal year (Oct. - Sept.)
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2008 Federal legislation and policy trends, 110th Congress (January 1, 2007-December 31, 2008): Suicide prevention and mental health
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/fedleg08.pdf
A summary of federal policy trends, along with a listing of federal legislation on suicide prevention or mental health for the 2008 federal fiscal year. Each item contains the bill number, a summary, the sponsors and the status of the item.
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2008 State legislation and policy trends, FFY 08 (October 1, 2007-September 30, 2008): Suicide prevention and mental health
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/stateleg08.pdf
A summary of state policy trends, along with a listing of state legislation on suicide prevention or mental health for the 2008 federal fiscal year. Each item contains the bill number, a summary, the sponsors and the status of the item.
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2009 federal legislation update: Suicide prevention and mental health parity
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/fedleg.update.pdf
A summary of federal policy trends, along with a listing of federal legislation on suicide prevention or mental health for the 2009 federal fiscal year. Each item contains the bill number, a summary, the sponsors and the status of the item. This listing is updated each month by SPAN USA.
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2009 state legislation update: Suicide prevention and mental health parity
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/stateleg.update.pdf
A summary of state policy trends, along with a listing of state legislation on suicide prevention or mental health for the 2009 federal fiscal year. Each item contains the bill number, a summary, the sponsors and the status of the item. This listing is updated each month by SPAN USA.
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Achieving the promise: Transforming mental health care in America
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/freedomcomm.pdf
The New Freedom Commission on Mental Health was charged with studying the mental health service delivery system and making recommendations that would enable adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbance to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. Six goals and corresponding recommendations have been identified. Includes Executive Order 13263 of April 29, 2002.
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Bazelon action alerts and legislative updates
URL: http://www.bazelon.org/takeaction/alerts/subscribe.htm
The Bazelon Center provides some of the most up-to-date information mental health policy and laws.
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A call to collaboration: The federal commitment to suicide prevention
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/collabcall.pdf
Originally published as an article in (2003), Suicide & Life Threatening Behavior, 33(2):101-10. The Federal government, largely through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sponsors many science-based suicide prevention initiatives. This article details the prevention-related agendas and collaborative efforts of five divisions within agencies.
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CDC Recommendations for a Community Plan for the Prevention and Containment of Suicide Clusters
URL: http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/PrevGuid/p0000214/p0000214.asp
Published as: MMWR 37(S-6);1-12. Recommendations in this report were developed to assist community leaders in public health, mental health, education, and other fields to develop a community response plan for suicide clusters or for situations that might develop into suicide clusters. A workshop for developing these recommendations was jointly sponsored by the New Jersey State Department of Health and CDC on November 16-17, 1987, in Newark New Jersey.
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Effects of the Vermont mental health and substance abuse parity law
URL: http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/vtparity.pdf
Vermont implemented the Nation’s most comprehensive parity law in 1998, extending equality of health insurance coverage to both mental health and substance abuse services. This evaluation includes an implementation case study, an employer survey, and an analysis of health plan claims/encounter data. Much of the analysis focuses on the experiences of two health plans—Kaiser/Community Health Plan and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont, which covered 80 percent of the privately insured state population at the time.
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Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatments and Services: Examples to Inform Public Policy
URL: http://www.milbank.org/reports/2004lehman/2004lehman.html
This report aims to inform policymakers about the significance of recent advances in evaluating evidence for allocating resources to and within public mental health programs.
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Federal Action Agenda: First Steps
URL: http://www.samhsa.gov/Federalactionagenda/NFC_TOC.aspx
This agenda is part of Transforming Mental Health Care in America, a multi-year effort to alter the form and function of the mental health system. The agenda is a collaborative product of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies and offices, along with five other Departments and the Social Security Administration. Each participating Federal Department and agency created an inventory of its current mental health activities. An additional list was created by each Federal partner outlining proposals for transforming programs and practices. From these inventories and lists of transforming activities, the agenda was developed.
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Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act programs: Authorized and appropriated dollars
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/GLSMA_Authorized_and_Appropriated_Dollars.pdf
This list reports authorized and appropriated funding amounts spend by all the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act programs, and separately by the state/tribe, campus, and TAC programs, in 2005-09.
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Living is for everyone: A framework for the prevention of suicide and self harm in Australia (LIFE Framework)
URL: http://www.livingisforeveryone.com.au/LIFE-Framework.html
This updated national plan promotes 6 action areas for suicide prevention activity: 1. Promoting well-being, resilience and community capacity across Australia. 2. Enhancing protective factors and reducing risk factors for suicide and self harm across the Australian Community. 3. Services and support within the community for groups at increased risk 4. Services for individuals at high risk. 5. Partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 6. Progressing the evidence base for suicide prevention and good practice.
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Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General
URL: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html
This report recognizes the intertwined relationship between mental and physical health. Focuses on following aspects of the subject: age groups (children, adults and older adults); services' organizing and financing; and confidentiality of information.
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National healthcare disparities report
URL: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr05/nhdr05.htm
This report represents the first national comprehensive effort to measure differences in access and use of health care services by various populations. The report includes a broad set of performance measures that can serve as baseline views of differences in the use of services. The report presents data on the differences in the use of services, access to health care, and impressions of quality for seven clinical conditions, including cancer, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, heart disease, HIV and AIDS, mental health, and respiratory disease as well as data on maternal and child health, nursing home and home health care, and patient safety. It also examines differences in use of services by priority populations.
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National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/nssp.pdf
The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention creates a framework for suicide prevention for the Nation. The Goals and Objectives for Action articulate a set of 11 goals and 68 objectives, and provides a blueprint for action. Published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May 2001 with the leadership from the Surgeon General, the NSSP represents the combined work of advocates, clinicians, researchers and survivors around the nation. It lays a framework for action to prevent suicide, and guides the development of an array of services and programs. Designed to be a catalyst for social change with the power to transform attitudes, policies, and services, NSSP will guide the nation's suicide prevention efforts for the next decade. To order paper copies: http://store.mentalhealth.org/publications/ordering.aspx phone: 800-789-2647 inventory code full text - SMA013517 inventory code summary - SMA01358
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National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action: Summary
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/nsspsummary.pdf
This is a 17 page summary of National Strategy for Suicide Prevention - Goals and Objectives for Action and includes the 11 goals and 68 objectives. To order paper copies: http://store.mentalhealth.org/publications/ordering.aspx phone: 800-789-2647 inventory code summary - SMA01358; inventory code full text - SMA013517
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Parental consent act of 2005
URL: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h181ih.txt.pdf
This bill, H.R. 181 (109) introduced in January 2005 by Congressman Ron Paul of Texas to prohibit the use of Federal funds for any universal or mandatory mental health screening program. To follow this bill through the legislative process, please see: http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?billnum=H.R.181&congress=109&size=full
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Ranking America's mental health: An analysis of depression across the states
URL: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/state-ranking
This report compares depression levels and suicide rates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and uses the information to highlight solutions to improve states' mental health status.
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Reducing suicide: A national imperative
URL: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309083214/html/index.html
Contents include: Magnitude of the problem, Psychiatric and psychological factors, Biological factors, Childhood trauma, Society and culture, Medical and psychotherapeutic interventions, Programs for suicide prevention, Barriers to effective treatment and intervention, Barriers to research and promising, Findings and recommendations.
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Reporting on suicide: Recommendations for the media
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/sreporting.pdf
These unified recommendations for reporting on suicide were developed at a consensus workshop co-sponsored by Annenberg Public Policy Center and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Workshop participants also included the American Association of Suicidology, Office of the Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Ser­vices Administration, World Health Organization, National Swedish Centre for Suicide Research and New Zealand Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy.
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Rural health disparities
URL: http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/disparities/
This webpage discusses rural health disparities and links to various resources on the topic.
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S. 2175. Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Expansion Act of 2004 (H. R. 4557)
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/S2175.pdf
A bill sponsored by Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) and introduced to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on March 8, 2004. The bill was introduced to the House of Representatives on June 14, 2004 To follow this bill through the legislative process, please see: http://capwiz.com/spanusa/issues/bills/?bill=5317171
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SPAN USA Action Center
URL: http://capwiz.com/spanusa/home/
This site allows you to: a) identify and directly contact your Senators and Representatives via e-mail, fax or mail; b) learn how your Senators and Representatives voted on certain bills; c) identify and contact local media outlets; and d) read about important legislation.
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State mandates for treatment for mental health illness and substance abuse disorders
URL: http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/Ken/pdf/SMA07-4228/CMHS17a_StateMandates_web.pdf
Focuses on state-mandated benefits, state laws regulating mental health and addiction treatment workers, and state-recognized mental health clinicians with authority to prescribe psychotropic medications.
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State of Tennessee Proclamation by the Governor
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/TNGovProclamation.pdf
This is a proclamation designating May 28th as "Suicide Prevention Awareness Day" in Tennessee.
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Suicide prevention efforts for individuals with serious mental illness: Roles for the State Mental Health Authority
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/SeriousMI.pdf
This report is the fourteenth in a series of Technical Reports produced by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). The report outlines the State Mental Health Authority’s (SMHA) leadership role in preventing suicide among persons with serious mental illness. It suggests ways in which SMHAs can increase collaboration, raise awareness of the signs of suicide, and intervene to save lives.
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Suicide prevention for older adults: Professional Reference Series, Vol. 1
URL: http://www.samhsa.gov/OlderAdultsTAC/docs/Suicide_Booklet.pdf
Summarizes the most recent studies on preventing suicide in older (59+) adults. Describes the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention goals and objectives for meeting the needs of older adults.
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Suicide prevention: The public health approach
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/phasp.pdf
Defines the five main steps of the public health approach and applies it toward suicide prevention.
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A summary of suicide prevention recommendations from Canada, the United States, and Australia
URL: http://www.acicr.ualberta.ca/pages/documents/SuicidePreventionRecommendationsforACICR.pdf
This report summarizes the national recommendations that Canada, the U.S. and Australia have put forth for suicide prevention.
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The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent suicide
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/surgeoncall.pdf
On July 28, 1999, Tipper Gore and Surgeon General David Satcher hosted a press conference at which the Surgeon General unveiled a blueprint to prevent suicide in the United States. This blueprint, The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, uses the AIM approach - Awareness, Intervention, and Methodology - derived from the collaborative deliberations of the 1st National Suicide Prevention Conference (Reno, Nevada) participants. As a framework for suicide prevention, AIM includes 15 key recommendations that were refined from consensus and evidence-based findings presented at the Reno conference.
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Surgeon General's workshop on Women’s Mental Health. November 30 – December 1, 2005, Denver, Colorado
URL: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/womensmentalhealth/mentalhlth_rpt.pdf
Summarizes the views and issues addressed at the workshop. Includes: an executive summary; an introduction to the background and purpose of the workshop; the Surgeon General's Women's Mental Health Project; and the state of women's mental health.
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Youth suicide prevention: Strengthening state policies and school-based strategies
URL: http://www.nga.org/cda/files/0504suicideprevention.pdf
This issue brief by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices discusses what actions schools, governors, and state policymakers can take to strengthen statewide youth suicide prevention efforts.
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