The winds of change are blowing in survivors’ favor.
There are many encouraging projects in comprehensive postvention across the USA. The early months of 2024 showed promise and we all hope to see more of this in the coming months.
We received a lovely thank-you letter from a home-school teacher to say that they include mental health as part of their curriculum. The students found our attempt survivor resources to be a valuable resource for their coursework. One student, working toward extra credits, found another online resource guide which she and her teacher shared with us for potential inclusion on this site. Another found a fabulous article about disability rights in relation to mental health in the work place. We remain humbled and grateful for the continued guidance we receive from youth. Thanks to Danielle and Kiel especially, for their research toward helping people who may find it beneficial. And thank you to their teacher for doing such a fab job with your students! We are awed by teachers and other leaders who trust youth and follow their lead.
goverments & communities work to REDUCE barriers
The Biden-Harris Administration has presented the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan. The new plan has added wording to address the needs of survivors across the spectrum. Unfortunately we will have to wait to discover if this new plan will prevent suffering and save lives. We hope so!
NY ASSEMBLY BILL 9923 ADDS POSTVENTION SUPPORTS
NY 9923 aims to enact college provisions for policies, guidelines and training opportunities to effectively and appropriately support college communities in postvention.
Pertinent text includes “According to data from Healthy CUNY, more than half of all city university of New York students report experiencing depression or anxiety. While nearly every city university of New York institution houses its own counseling center, data reported by the city university of New York board of trustees in the board's four-year financial plan stated that the average student-to-counselor ratio across the city university of New York system is at least two thousand four hundred-to-one. Until adequate staffing levels of mental health professionals can be sustainably funded, uniformly requiring higher education institutions to develop partnerships with community providers is imperative to meet the needs of students.”
2 new Colorado laws upgrade state statutes.
HOUSE BILL 24-1037 expands the opportunities for care by clarifying “good Samaritan” protections and increases access to clean syringes for people living with opioid use disorder. This is more than welcome news for sufferers as well as their families and friends.
We extend gratitude and respect to everyone who worked to see this life-saving legislation passed, many of whom work with Harm Reduction Action Center, Action is Safer, Vote Positive Colorado, and Positive Women’s Network Colorado Chapter.
Readers can click on the following links to learn more about Harm Reduction resources for suicide attempt and loss survivors who use drugs ( and their loved ones) and Overdose Grief & Bereavement Resources, and to hear how one country got the number of fatal overdoses in the country to drop 80%.
HOUSE BILL 24-1252 makes several encouraging updates to BILL 14-088.
25-1.5-111.(VII) A representative from OF the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado OR A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SUICIDE PREVENTION NONPROFIT COMMUNITY.
The word OR creates space for other nonprofits to share power with the SPCC, a nonprofit which has enjoyed preferential treatment since the inception of the commission.
25-1.5-111.(XXII)(b) When appointing the commission members, the executive director OF THE DEPARTMENT shall ensure that persons of VARIOUS RACIAL AND ethnic backgrounds AND IDENTITIES are represented - and - that the commission includes members with FAMILIARITY with, KNOWLEDGE OF, and LEADERSHIP OF groups associated with high suicide rates and suicide attempts, including: Persons with disabilities; working-age men; senior adults; veterans and active-duty military personnel; lesbian, gay, bisexual, NONBINARY,TWO- SPIRIT , and transgender youth and adults; and Coloradans of disproportionately affected diversities and genders GENDER EXPRESSIONS.
The specific nature of this wording creates a mandate that whomever serves as the CDPHE OSP executive director will populate the commission seats with a much less homogeneous group of people than have directed Colorado suicide prevention activity up until now.
These changes create better alignment with the West Slope Youth Voice’s work over the years in developing the foundation for HB21-1119.
colleges and universities are leading survivor research and care
Postvention at NC State
The university’s postvention efforts aim to provide support to those affected by crisis and help the community return to normal routine to the greatest extent possible as soon as is feasible.
Based on research from the University of Kentucky
They conducted a large population-based national survey of young adults, using a precise sampling frame.
OSU Extension Service - Oregon State University
How to Respond After a Suicide: A Guide for Extension Professionals
During the April 17-18, 2024 the presentations expanded discussions of contentedness, meaningful crisis care, and after care for survivors. For more on military postvention services, see MIRECC / CoE Uniting for Suicide Postvention.
In the next newsletter we hope to have an update about some encouraging things that are happening with LOSSTeams at the national and states levels.