Suicide Prevention

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) should develop culturally competent guidelines for mental health and substance use service providers[1], particularly those serving predominantly underserved communities—particularly Black/African American; Hispanic/Latino; Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander; American Indian and Alaska Native; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex(LGBTQI+) communities[2][3]—through inclusive and responsive community engagement.

The Department of Education (DOE) should build a standardized framework for schools to implement the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, establish dashboards for data collection and resources libraries on the MTSS framework, establish a certification program that recognizes districts that have implemented MTSS best practices, and establish a permanent position for school-based Medicaid services to support state education agencies in implementation.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should also clarify that Tier 1 supports under MTSS include prevention and early intervention services under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit.

Congress should pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (Momnibus 2.0) package, which includes 13 bills to address alarming disparities in Black maternal health.

To prevent suicides and other gun-related violence, Congress should pass legislation to require gun buyers to wait 7 to 10 days before accessing a gun they have purchased.

Congress should authorize and fund the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program (CSP)[1] so it can be expanded to all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and 18 tribal and territorial jurisdictions.[2]

Congress should pass the Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2023, which would reauthorize the Elder Justice Act and appropriate $250 million to address social isolation and loneliness for older adults.