To the editor:
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. As a volunteer advocate with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, I am calling on my members of Congress to pass legislation to prevent suicides and support crisis care.
Almost 10 years ago I was at Riverside in a coma after a failed suicide attempt. After receiving a second chance on life I vowed to help others. I do this every day as a mental health care worker at one of the greatest behavioral health care centers this country has to offer; Sun Behavioral Health!
Outside of work, I learn why movement matters as a member of GirlTrek. And beginning in September I will begin to impact girls of all ages as a mentor in the self-development program Browngirls mentor. I'm a NAMI peer mentor, and a mom of two boys, and I use faith as the fuel that drives me.
If not for my faith and support system after losing my mom, I could have easily drifted back into those suicidal thoughts. It's critical that we turn up the volume on the conversation of suicide.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline must be sustainably funded so that confidential, voluntary services by trained counselors are accessible. H.R.7116, the 988 Implementation Act, would provide federal funding and guidance to states for 988 crisis services across the nation.
An alternative to 911 for mental health crises, 988 connects callers to Lifeline centers. These centers de-escalate 98% of crisis calls without dispatching emergency services. Well-resourced crisis support systems can connect callers with local resources, including someone to talk to (call centers), someone to respond (mobile crisis teams), and somewhere to go (crisis stabilization centers). We must ensure that every state has the capacity to provide comprehensive crisis response services to help save lives.
For more information, go to afsp.org/988.
Join me in urging Congress to take action to #StopSuicide!
Bianca Schofield
Dublin
.webp){kind=tracking}