THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SUICIDOLOGY APPLAUDS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR IMPLEMENTING NEW RULE ENSURING MENTAL HEALTH PARITY IN INSURANCE COVERAGE
July 27, 2023 | Washington, DC – President Joe Biden announced a new landmark rule to strengthen mental and physical health parity requirements and improve mental health care access for more than 150 million Americans. The proposed rule would reinforce 2008’s Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) by requiring insurance providers to update health plans “to make sure people have equivalent access between their mental health and medical benefits,” according to an administration fact sheet.
“President Biden said it best, ‘Mental health care is health care’,” said AAS President & Chief Executive Officer Leeann Sherman, MPS, CAE. “This new rule will allow people across the country to receive better mental health care that will hopefully reduce the number of deaths by suicide in the United States.”
President Biden said the changes “represent a real step forward to help millions of people get the mental health care they need, and that insurance should be providing.” He also added, “You know, we can all agree, mental health care is health care. It is health care, it’s essential to people’s well-being and their ability to lead a full and productive life, to find joy, to find purpose, to take care of themselves and their loved ones. It’s about dignity.”
About American Association of Suicidology
The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest and nation’s oldest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have an interest in suicide prevention. Learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides and open the door for help for those in need. Visit the Media as Partners in Suicide Prevention: Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more details. For additional information, visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com and Stanford University’s Media and Mental Health Initiative. For crisis services anywhere in the world, please visit FindAHelpline.org and in the continental United States chat, text or call 988.
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SUICIDOLOGY STATEMENT ON NEW NAMI-IPSOS POLL
July 19, 2023 | Washington, DC – A new poll from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) finds most Americans (82%) are still not familiar with 988 — a resource to help people in mental health, substance use and suicide crises get connected to crisis support. As communities nationwide work to expand the capacity of 988 call centers and the availability of related crisis services, the new research, conducted by Ipsos, shows that half of Americans say funding 988 should be a high or the highest priority for Congress.
“The fact that 82% of Americans are not familiar with 988 proves that more work needs to be done at the federal and local levels to educate communities about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline as well as having access to other life-saving resources,” said AAS President & Chief Executive Officer Leeann Sherman, MPS, CAE. “Knowing that three-quarters of Americans are willing to pay a fee for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline funding and 42% of Americans are willing to pay 50 cents or more for a monthly fee to fund crisis services shows that there is a demand for these programs. When 62% of U.S. adults say, ‘mental health care should be a high or the highest priority for funding in Congress’ should shine a much-needed light on the importance of this issue.”
This month marks the one-year anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched in July 2022. The American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the world’s largest and nation’s oldest membership-based suicide prevention organization, celebrates the impact that 988 has made and plans to continue supporting improvement efforts to reach more people across the United States of America.
The 988 dialing code operates through what was formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is a network of over 200 locally operated and funded crisis centers around the country.
About American Association of Suicidology
The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest and nation’s oldest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have an interest in suicide prevention. Learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides and open the door for help for those in need. Visit the Media as Partners in Suicide Prevention: Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more details. For additional information, visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com and Stanford University’s Media and Mental Health Initiative. For crisis services anywhere in the world, please visit FindAHelpline.org and in the continental United States chat, text or call 988.
MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Cosentino
ccosentino@suicidology.org American Association of Suicidology
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SUICIDOLOGY CELEBRATES THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE 988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE
July 17, 2023 | Washington, DC – This month marks the one-year anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched in July 2022. The American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the world’s largest and nation’s oldest membership-based suicide prevention organization, celebrates the impact that 988 has made and plans to continue supporting improvement efforts to reach more people across the United States of America.
“The American Association of Suicidology is grateful for the incredible effort from SAMHSA, elected government officials, and the crisis professionals across the United States that dedicate their lives to helping others in need,” said AAS President & Chief Executive Officer Leeann Sherman, MPS, CAE. “The 998 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has saved countless lives over the past year. As a community, we must continue supporting these efforts by reaching more people and increasing funding to provide more resources for all our partners.”
The 988 dialing code operates through what was formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is a network of over 200 locally operated and funded crisis centers around the country.
Congress designated 988 in 2020 and the Lifeline transitioned to the 3-digit number in July 2022. As a part of the federal government’s commitment to addressing the mental health crisis in America, unprecedented federal resources have been invested to scale up crisis centers in support of 988. Transition to 988 is an important step forward and offers an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen and transform crisis care in our country.
About American Association of Suicidology
The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest and nation’s oldest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have an interest in suicide prevention. Learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides and open the door for help for those in need. Visit the Media as Partners in Suicide Prevention: Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more details. For additional information, visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com and Stanford University’s Media and Mental Health Initiative. For crisis services anywhere in the world, please visit FindAHelpline.org and in the continental United States chat, text or call 988.
MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Cosentino, Chief Marketing Officer, American Association of Suicidology, ccosentino@suicidology.org
