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1 | AN ACT concerning public health.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||
5 | Suicide Prevention, Education, and Treatment Act. | ||||||
6 | Section 5. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly | ||||||
7 | makes the following findings:
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8 | (1) The Surgeon General of the United States has | ||||||
9 | described suicide prevention as a serious public health | ||||||
10 | priority and has called upon each state to develop a | ||||||
11 | statewide comprehensive suicide prevention strategy using | ||||||
12 | a public health approach. Suicide now ranks 10th among | ||||||
13 | causes of death, nationally. | ||||||
14 | (2) In 1998, 1,064 Illinoisans lost their lives to | ||||||
15 | suicide, an average of 3 Illinois residents per day. It is | ||||||
16 | estimated that there are between 21,000 and 35,000 suicide | ||||||
17 | attempts in Illinois every year. Three and one-half percent | ||||||
18 | of all suicides in the nation take place in Illinois. | ||||||
19 | (3) Among older adults, suicide rates are increasing, | ||||||
20 | making suicide the leading fatal injury among the elderly | ||||||
21 | population in Illinois. As the proportion of Illinois' | ||||||
22 | population age 75 and older increases, the number of | ||||||
23 | suicides among persons in this age group will also | ||||||
24 | increase, unless an effective suicide prevention strategy | ||||||
25 | is implemented.
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26 | (4) Adolescents are far more likely to attempt suicide | ||||||
27 | than other age groups in
Illinois. The data indicates that | ||||||
28 | there are 100 attempts for every adolescent suicide | ||||||
29 | completed. In 1998, 156 Illinois youths died by suicide, | ||||||
30 | between the ages of 15 through 24. Using this estimate, | ||||||
31 | there were likely more than 15,500 suicide attempts made by | ||||||
32 | Illinois adolescents or approximately 50% of all estimated |
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1 | suicide attempts that occurred in Illinois were made by | ||||||
2 | adolescents. | ||||||
3 | (5) Homicide and suicide rank as the second and third | ||||||
4 | leading causes of death in Illinois for youth, | ||||||
5 | respectively. Both are preventable. While the death rates | ||||||
6 | for unintentional injuries decreased by more than 35% | ||||||
7 | between 1979 and 1996, the death rates for homicide and | ||||||
8 | suicide increased for youth. Evidence is growing in terms | ||||||
9 | of the links between suicide and other forms of violence. | ||||||
10 | This provides compelling reasons for broadening the | ||||||
11 | State's scope in identifying risk factors for self-harmful | ||||||
12 | behavior. The number of estimated youth suicide attempts | ||||||
13 | and the growing concerns of youth violence can best be | ||||||
14 | addressed through the implementation of successful | ||||||
15 | gatekeeper-training programs to identify and refer youth | ||||||
16 | at risk for self-harmful behavior. | ||||||
17 | (6) The American Association of Suicidology | ||||||
18 | conservatively estimates that the lives of at least 6 | ||||||
19 | persons related to or connected to individuals who attempt | ||||||
20 | or complete suicide are impacted. Using these estimates, in | ||||||
21 | 1998, more than 6,000 Illinoisans struggled to cope with | ||||||
22 | the impact of suicide.
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23 | (7) Decreases in alcohol and other drug abuse, as well | ||||||
24 | as decreases in access to lethal means, significantly | ||||||
25 | reduce the number of suicides. | ||||||
26 | (8) Suicide attempts are expected to be higher than | ||||||
27 | reported because attempts not requiring medical attention | ||||||
28 | are not required to be reported. The underreporting of | ||||||
29 | suicide completion is also likely because suicide | ||||||
30 | classification involves conclusions regarding the intent | ||||||
31 | of the deceased. The stigma associated with suicide is also | ||||||
32 | likely to contribute to underreporting. Without | ||||||
33 | interagency collaboration and support for proven, | ||||||
34 | community-based, culturally-competent suicide prevention | ||||||
35 | and intervention programs, suicides are likely to rise. | ||||||
36 | (9) Emerging data on rates of suicide based on gender, |
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1 | ethnicity, age, and geographic areas demand a new strategy | ||||||
2 | that responds to the needs of a diverse population. | ||||||
3 | (10) According to Children's Safety Network Economics | ||||||
4 | Insurance, the cost of youth suicide acts by persons in | ||||||
5 | Illinois who are under 21 years of age totals $539,000,000, | ||||||
6 | including medical costs, future earnings lost, and a | ||||||
7 | measure of quality of life.
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8 | (11) Suicide is the second leading cause of death in | ||||||
9 | Illinois for persons between the ages of 15 and 24. | ||||||
10 | (12) In 1998, there were 1,116 homicides in Illinois, | ||||||
11 | which outnumbered suicides by only 52. Yet, so far, only | ||||||
12 | homicide has received funding, programs, and media | ||||||
13 | attention. | ||||||
14 | (13) According to the 1999 national report on | ||||||
15 | statistics for suicide of the American Association of | ||||||
16 | Suicidology, categories of unintentional injury, motor | ||||||
17 | vehicle deaths, and all other deaths include many reported | ||||||
18 | and unsubstantiated suicides that are not identified | ||||||
19 | correctly because of poor investigatory techniques, | ||||||
20 | unsophisticated inquest jurors, and stigmas that cause | ||||||
21 | families to cover up evidence. | ||||||
22 | (14) Programs for HIV infectious diseases are very well | ||||||
23 | funded even though, in Illinois, HIV deaths number 30% less | ||||||
24 | than suicide deaths. | ||||||
25 | Section 10. Definitions.
For the purpose of this Act, | ||||||
26 | unless the context otherwise requires: | ||||||
27 | "Committee" means the Illinois Suicide Prevention | ||||||
28 | Strategic Planning Committee. | ||||||
29 | "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
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30 | "Plan" means the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic | ||||||
31 | Plan set forth in Section 15. | ||||||
32 | Section 13. Duration; report. All projects set forth in | ||||||
33 | this Act must be at least 3 years in duration, and the | ||||||
34 | Department and related contracts as well as the Suicide |
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1 | Prevention Strategic Planning Committee must report annually | ||||||
2 | to the Governor and General Assembly on the effectiveness of | ||||||
3 | these activities and programs. | ||||||
4 | Section 15. Suicide Prevention Strategic Planning | ||||||
5 | Committee.
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6 | (a) The Committee is created as the official grassroots | ||||||
7 | creator, planner, monitor, and advocate for the Illinois | ||||||
8 | Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan. No later than one year after | ||||||
9 | the effective date of this Act, the Committee shall review, | ||||||
10 | finalize, and submit to the Governor and the General Assembly | ||||||
11 | the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan and appropriate | ||||||
12 | processes and outcome objectives for 10 overriding | ||||||
13 | recommendations and a timeline for reaching these objectives. | ||||||
14 | (b) The Committee shall use the United States Surgeon | ||||||
15 | General's National Suicide Prevention Strategy as a model for | ||||||
16 | the Plan. The Committee shall review the statutorily prescribed | ||||||
17 | missions of major State mental health, health, aging, and | ||||||
18 | school mental health programs and recommend, as necessary and | ||||||
19 | appropriate, statutory changes to include suicide prevention | ||||||
20 | in the missions and procedures of those programs. The Committee | ||||||
21 | shall prepare a report of that review, including its | ||||||
22 | recommendations, and shall submit the report to the Governor | ||||||
23 | and the General Assembly by December 31, 2004. | ||||||
24 | (c) The Director of Public Health shall appoint the members | ||||||
25 | of the Committee. The membership of the Committee shall | ||||||
26 | include, without limitation, representatives of statewide | ||||||
27 | organizations and other agencies that focus on the prevention | ||||||
28 | of suicide and the improvement of mental health treatment or | ||||||
29 | that provide suicide prevention or survivor support services. | ||||||
30 | Other disciplines that shall be considered for membership on | ||||||
31 | the committee include law enforcement, first responders, | ||||||
32 | faith-based community leaders, universities, and survivors of | ||||||
33 | suicide (families and friends who have lost persons to suicide) | ||||||
34 | as well as consumers of services of these agencies and | ||||||
35 | organizations.
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1 | (d) The committee shall meet at least 4 times a year, and | ||||||
2 | more as deemed necessary, in various sites statewide in order | ||||||
3 | to foster as much participation as possible. The Committee, a | ||||||
4 | steering committee, and core members of the full committee | ||||||
5 | shall monitor and guide the definition and direction of the | ||||||
6 | goals of the full Committee, shall review and approve | ||||||
7 | productions of the plan, and shall meet before the full | ||||||
8 | Committee meetings. | ||||||
9 | Section 20. General awareness and screening program.
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10 | (a) The Department shall provide technical assistance for | ||||||
11 | the work of the Committee and the production of the Plan and | ||||||
12 | shall distribute general information and screening tools for | ||||||
13 | suicide prevention to the general public through local public | ||||||
14 | health departments throughout the State. These materials shall | ||||||
15 | be distributed to agencies, schools, hospitals, churches, | ||||||
16 | places of employment, and all related professional caregivers | ||||||
17 | to educate all citizens about warning signs and interventions | ||||||
18 | that all persons can do to stop the suicidal cycle. | ||||||
19 | (b) This program shall include, without limitation, all of | ||||||
20 | the following: | ||||||
21 | (1) Educational programs about warning signs and how to | ||||||
22 | help suicidal individuals. | ||||||
23 | (2) Educational presentations about suicide risk and | ||||||
24 | how to help at-risk people in special populations and with | ||||||
25 | bi-lingual support to special cultures. | ||||||
26 | (3) The designation of an annual suicide awareness week | ||||||
27 | or month to include a public awareness media campaign on | ||||||
28 | suicide. | ||||||
29 | (4) A statewide suicide prevention conference before | ||||||
30 | November of 2004. | ||||||
31 | (5) An Illinois Suicide Prevention Speaker's Bureau. | ||||||
32 | (6) A program to educate the media regarding the | ||||||
33 | guidelines developed by the American Association for | ||||||
34 | Suicidology for coverage of suicides and to encourage media | ||||||
35 | cooperation in adopting these guidelines in reporting |
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1 | suicides. | ||||||
2 | (7) A depression and suicide screening system that is | ||||||
3 | available to the public in all communities by increasing | ||||||
4 | training opportunities for volunteers and care-givers to | ||||||
5 | administer these screenings through venues such as | ||||||
6 | schools, hospitals, medical clinics, first responders, | ||||||
7 | faith-based communities, nursing homes, places of | ||||||
8 | employment, and other social service agencies to do these | ||||||
9 | screenings. | ||||||
10 | Section 25. Additional duties of the Committee.
The | ||||||
11 | Committee shall: | ||||||
12 | (1) Act as an advisor and lead consultant on the | ||||||
13 | design, implementation, and evaluation of all programs | ||||||
14 | outlined in this Act. | ||||||
15 | (2) Establish interagency policy and procedures among | ||||||
16 | appropriate agencies for the collaboration and | ||||||
17 | coordination needed to implement the programs outlined in | ||||||
18 | this Act.
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19 | (3) Design, review, select, and monitor proposals for | ||||||
20 | the implementation of these activities in agencies | ||||||
21 | throughout the State. | ||||||
22 | Section 30. Suicide prevention pilot programs. | ||||||
23 | (a) The Department shall establish, when funds are | ||||||
24 | appropriated, up to 5 pilot programs that provide training and | ||||||
25 | direct service programs relating to youth, elderly, special | ||||||
26 | populations, high-risk populations, and professional | ||||||
27 | caregivers. The purpose of these pilot programs is to | ||||||
28 | demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of the projects set | ||||||
29 | forth in this Act in the communities in which they are offered. | ||||||
30 | The pilot programs shall be operational for at least 2 years of | ||||||
31 | the 3-year requirement set forth in Section 13. | ||||||
32 | (b) The Director of Public Health is encouraged to ensure | ||||||
33 | that the pilot programs include the following prevention | ||||||
34 | strategies: |
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1 | (1) school gatekeeper and faculty training;
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2 | (2) community gatekeeper training; | ||||||
3 | (3) general community suicide prevention education; | ||||||
4 | (4) health providers and physician training and | ||||||
5 | consultation about high-risk cases; | ||||||
6 | (5) depression, anxiety, and suicide screening | ||||||
7 | programs;
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8 | (6) peer support youth and older adult programs;
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9 | (7) the enhancement of 24-hour crisis centers, | ||||||
10 | hotlines, and person-to-person calling trees; | ||||||
11 | (8) means restriction advocacy and collaboration; and
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12 | (9) intervening and supporting after a suicide.
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13 | (c) The funds appropriated for purposes of this Section | ||||||
14 | shall be allocated by the Department on a competitive, | ||||||
15 | grant-submission basis, which shall include consideration of | ||||||
16 | different rates of risk of suicide based on age, ethnicity, | ||||||
17 | gender, prevalence of mental health disorders, different rates | ||||||
18 | of suicide based on geographic areas in Illinois, and the | ||||||
19 | services and curriculum offered to fit these needs by the | ||||||
20 | applying agency. | ||||||
21 | (d) The Department and Committee shall prepare a report as | ||||||
22 | to the effectiveness of the demonstration projects established | ||||||
23 | pursuant to this Section and submit that report no later than 6 | ||||||
24 | months after the projects are completed to the Governor and | ||||||
25 | General Assembly.
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26 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
27 | 2004.
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