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House committee advances bill to create Delaware Office of Suicide Prevention
Summary
The House Health & Human Development Committee voted to release House Bill 54, which would establish a state Office of Suicide Prevention housed within DSAMH and begin as a single director position to coordinate suicide prevention, intervention and postvention efforts.
At a meeting of the House Health & Human Development Committee, lawmakers voted to release House Bill 54, an act to amend Title 16 of the Delaware Code to establish an Office of Suicide Prevention.
The office, sponsored by Representative D. Morrison, would be housed under the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and begin with one reclassified position: a full-time director responsible for coordinating prevention, intervention and postvention services statewide.
Supporters said the office would serve as a central hub for resources, improve coordination between state agencies and community organizations, and help the state apply for federal grants. "One of the things they'll be doing is serving as a hub," Representative Morrison said, adding that the goal is to reduce the confusion that occurs when people must call multiple numbers to find help.
Family members and advocates described gaps in support and urged the committee to act. "Postvention is prevention," Jennifer Antonick, founder and executive director of DJ's Alliance,…
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