Public Act 0109 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1643 Enrolled LRB095 10030 KBJ 30244 b

Public Act 095-0109

AN ACT concerning public health.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Suicide Prevention, Education, and Treatment Act is amended by changing Sections 10, 13, 15, 20, 25, and 30 as follows:

(410 ILCS 53/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions. For the purpose of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Alliance" means the Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance.

"Committee" means the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Planning Committee.

"Department" means the Department of Public Health.

"Plan" means the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan set forth in Section 15.

(Source: P.A. 93-907, eff. 8-11-04.)

(410 ILCS 53/13)

Sec. 13. Duration; report. All projects set forth in this Act must be at least 3 years in duration, and the Department and related contracts as well as the Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance Suicide Prevention Strategic Planning Committee must report annually to the Governor and General Assembly on the effectiveness of these activities and programs.

(Source: P.A. 93-907, eff. 8-11-04.)

(410 ILCS 53/15)

Sec. 15. Suicide Prevention Alliance Strategic Planning Committee.

(a) The Alliance Committee is created as the official grassroots creator, planner, monitor, and advocate for the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan. No later than one year after the effective date of this Act, the Alliance Committee shall review, finalize, and submit to the Governor and the General Assembly the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan and appropriate processes and outcome objectives for 10 overriding recommendations and a timeline for reaching these objectives.

(b) The Alliance Committee shall use the United States Surgeon General's National Suicide Prevention Strategy as a model for the Plan. The Alliance Committee shall review the statutorily prescribed missions of major State mental health, health, aging, and school mental health programs and recommend, as necessary and appropriate, statutory changes to include suicide prevention in the missions and procedures of those programs. The Alliance Committee shall prepare a report of that review, including its recommendations, and shall submit the report to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31, 2004.

(c) The Director of Public Health shall appoint the members of the Alliance Committee. The membership of the Alliance Committee shall include, without limitation, representatives of statewide organizations and other agencies that focus on the prevention of suicide and the improvement of mental health treatment or that provide suicide prevention or survivor support services. Other disciplines that shall be considered for membership on the Alliance committee include law enforcement, first responders, faith-based community leaders, universities, and survivors of suicide (families and friends who have lost persons to suicide) as well as consumers of services of these agencies and organizations.

(d) The Alliance committee shall meet at least 4 times a year, and more as deemed necessary, in various sites statewide in order to foster as much participation as possible. The Alliance Committee, a steering committee, and core members of the full committee shall monitor and guide the definition and direction of the goals of the full Alliance Committee, shall review and approve productions of the plan, and shall meet before the full Alliance Committee meetings.

(Source: P.A. 93-907, eff. 8-11-04.)

(410 ILCS 53/20)

Sec. 20. General awareness and screening program.

(a) The Department shall provide technical assistance for the work of the Alliance Committee and the production of the Plan and shall distribute general information and screening tools for suicide prevention to the general public through local public health departments throughout the State. These materials shall be distributed to agencies, schools, hospitals, churches, places of employment, and all related professional caregivers to educate all citizens about warning signs and interventions that all persons can do to stop the suicidal cycle.

(b) This program shall include, without limitation, all of the following:

(1) Educational programs about warning signs and how to help suicidal individuals.

(2) Educational presentations about suicide risk and how to help at-risk people in special populations and with bilingual support to special cultures.

(3) The designation of an annual suicide awareness week or month to include a public awareness campaign on suicide.

(4) A statewide suicide prevention conference before November of 2004.

(5) An Illinois Suicide Prevention Speaker's Bureau.

(6) A program to educate the media regarding the guidelines developed by the American Association for Suicidology for coverage of suicides and to encourage media cooperation in adopting these guidelines in reporting suicides.

(7) Increased training opportunities for volunteers, professionals, and other caregivers to develop specific skills for assessing suicide risk and intervening to prevent suicide.

(Source: P.A. 93-907, eff. 8-11-04.)

(410 ILCS 53/25)

Sec. 25. Additional duties of the Alliance Committee. The Alliance Committee shall:

(1) Act as an advisor and lead consultant on the design, implementation, and evaluation of all programs outlined in this Act.

(2) Establish interagency policy and procedures among appropriate agencies for the collaboration and coordination needed to implement the programs outlined in this Act.

(3) Design, review, select, and monitor proposals for the implementation of these activities in agencies throughout the State.

(Source: P.A. 93-907, eff. 8-11-04.)

(410 ILCS 53/30)

Sec. 30. Suicide prevention pilot programs.

(a) The Department shall establish, when funds are appropriated, up to 5 pilot programs that provide training and direct service programs relating to youth, elderly, special populations, high-risk populations, and professional caregivers. The purpose of these pilot programs is to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of the projects set forth in this Act in the communities in which they are offered. The pilot programs shall be operational for at least 2 years of the 3-year requirement set forth in Section 13.

(b) The Director of Public Health is encouraged to ensure that the pilot programs include the following prevention strategies:

(1) school gatekeeper and faculty training;

(2) community gatekeeper training;

(3) general community suicide prevention education;

(4) health providers and physician training and consultation about high-risk cases;

(5) depression, anxiety, and suicide screening programs;

(6) peer support youth and older adult programs;

(7) the enhancement of 24-hour crisis centers, hotlines, and person-to-person calling trees;

(8) means restriction advocacy and collaboration; and

(9) intervening and supporting after a suicide.

(c) The funds appropriated for purposes of this Section shall be allocated by the Department on a competitive, grant-submission basis, which shall include consideration of different rates of risk of suicide based on age, ethnicity, gender, prevalence of mental health disorders, different rates of suicide based on geographic areas in Illinois, and the services and curriculum offered to fit these needs by the applying agency.

(d) The Department and Alliance Committee shall prepare a report as to the effectiveness of the demonstration projects established pursuant to this Section and submit that report no later than 6 months after the projects are completed to the Governor and General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 93-907, eff. 8-11-04.)

Effective Date: 1/1/2008