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.

It’s past time to pay attention to mental health in this country.

The pandemic has exacerbated the ugly face of suicide. When will we get back to taking care of our humanity, our mental wellness,  rather than feeding the rampant greed in this country. The loss of loved ones to suicide is heart-wrenching.

I am heartbroken, my family and thousands of other families are broken and grieving. When will this country give a damn about its own??

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 https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2f%2f%2fafsp.org%2f988.&c=E,1,OPhZMq6jGBKjOC32nagVu8XOqa1_p8PBI8tjQ0-E1Gd8WbOf8r4UlkTIrh395p8h_FbPxlg7tSiJtKcob54PJ8-EZyfK0_oHcTyn9PrRYoWAsPKFPA,,&typo=1

Join me in urging Congress to take action to #StopSuicide!

 

Jennifer R Orellana
Rio Rancho