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Suicide Prevention Today in Florida:

The Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention continues to serve on the State Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council as we were legislatively appointed with the creation of the Office of Suicide Prevention.  With the transition teams in Tallahassee making changes the Florida State Office of Suicide

Prevention will be moving to the Department of Children and Family Services building.  We are

continuing to apply for grants to and meet the requirements of the Florida Suicide Prevention Strategy The Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council will now be meeting at DCF building . We will keep you updated as new developments and programs are developed.

 

History of Suicide Prevention in Florida

 

2011   Governor Rick Scott signed Chapter 2011-51 (SB 2104) into law on May 26, 2011 to take effect July 1, 2011.

   The bill moves the STATE OFFICE OF SUICIDE PREVENTION  (SOSP) from the Executive Office of the Governor (EOG) to

             the Department of Children & Families (DCF) - FISP was AGAINST thi

   The bill eliminates the Coordinator position in the SOSP - FSPC was AGAINST

   The bill REPEALs Section 1006.07(7), passed in 2010 that provides NO cost suicide prevention educational resources to all 

   instructional and administrative personnel as part of the school district professional development system under s. 1012.98  

   FISP was AGAINST this

 

   It seemed that Section 1006.07(7) would NOT be repealed, but somehow it still made it through the Bill.  We don't why   

   this was so important, so if you have Legislative contacts, we want to find out why

 

2010 -  JUNE 14, GOVERNOR CRIST signs law to promote Suicide Prevention Training among

           School personnel beginning 7/1/07. Jackie Rosen was approved to Train Teahers by the SOSP approved instructors
2008 -  Bills Passed - Relating to School Safety/Bullying & Harrassment  and  School Safety
                                             

2007 - May 22 Governor Charlie Crist into Law  creating the  Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention

On May 22, 2007 after four years of hard work The Florida Legislature finally passed  a bill creating the Office of Suicide Prevention within the Office of Drug Control in the Governor's Office.  The Florida Suicide Prevention Task Force and Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition worked hard to get this bill passed.  Thank you to many advocates, legislators and State officials who worked with the two organizations to accomplish this goal.

The Bill also created the State of Florida Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council with 28 voting members and many other non-voting members.  Together all the members of the Council will collaborate to implement the  Florida Suicide Prevention Strategy created in 2005 in the Office of Drug Control. 

FISP's Executive Director Jackie Rosen is proud to have been appointed as a voting member for the next three years.  For more information click http://www.flgov.com/pdfs/ODC-FlaSuicidePreventStrategy.pdf

2006 - October 11 a joint meeting of the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the

             Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition    

  

2005 - August 19 & 20 individuals from Florida State agencies, members of the Florida Suicide    

            Prevention Coalition and others met at Camp Blanding, Fl (Florida Army National Guard Camp)

 

2004 - March 23,  as "Florida Suicide Prevention Day - A Day to Focus on Suicide Prevention Awareness

 

2003 - November 17 & 18, , the first FSPC Conference in partnership with the Suicide Prevention

            Coalition of Volusia/Flagler Counties "Making Strides to Save Lives". 

 

2000 -  January  11 Pam and Bob Harrington met Governor Bush who directed the

             Florida Office of Drug Control to assist in decreasing the incidence of suicide in Florida.

 

1999 - November- Pam Harrington, who lost her daughter Beth in 1997, emailed Governor Jeb

            Bush about suicide and its' devastating losses.   FDOE introduced the SAFE School Action   

            Planning and Preparedness Program. 

            School Critical Response Plans incorporated suicide threats and gestures at all levels.

            Florida Senate recognized suicide as a state problem and declared suicide prevention to

            be a state priority. 

 

1998 - Florida Department of Children and Families (FDCF) funded a Youth Suicide Prevention Study, 

            Report to the Florida Legislature completed in September 1999 

 

1990 - Florida suicide prevention training a requirement for teacher certification. 

            Mandated that a life-management skills class  in secondary education level and include suicide

            awareness.  

 

1985 - Comprehensive Plan for the Prevention of Youth Suicide in Florida

 

1984 - Florida Emotional Development and Suicide Prevention Act      

Florida State Task Force on Suicide Prevention, FSPC

FISP's former Executive Director/CEO Rene Barrett, with SPAN colleagues, Pam Harrington & Laura Meyer, were instrumental in initiating the Florida State Task Force on Suicide Prevention. Originally chaired by James R. McDonough, Director, Office of Drug Control Policy.  The task force targeted reducing suicide in Florida by 1/3 by the year 2010. Call our office for a copy of the document they worked on or go to  the Florida Suicide Prevention Strategy Paper. (954) 384- 0344.  FISP has worked with Sen. Nan Rich to make Suicide Prevention a state of Florida priority.

FISP was also a founding member of the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition (FSPC)

which consists of many organizations and individuals throughout the state working together to inform our legislators of the needs of Florida's citizens concerning suicide prevention.  FSPC holds and Annual Suicide Prevention Day in the Capital to educate our legislators. The FSPC website http://www.floridasuicideprevention.org/ has comprehensive  information regarding legislative actions.   Each year the Coalition goes to Tallahassee to educate the legislators and the public about mental health issues and suicide prevention.

 

Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition (FSPC) Suicide Prevention Day in Tallahassee typical events

       

How you can help Legislatively?            

By working together with FISP and other agencies we will achieve our common goal together.  Call or write your legislators. Ask them to continue funding Suicide Prevention and Mental Health initiatives in Florida.  Go to the FSPC website http://www.floridasuicideprevention.org/ or the state website myflorida.com to find your legislators.            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call our office today to get more information. Join FISP now and

     help meet our state's goal to reduce suicide in Florida by one third  

Become involved in this urgent mission to Prevent Suicide Now! 

 

Contact Jackie Rosen, Executive Director/CEO (954) 384-0344

                                  Voting member of the Florida Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council

 

Passage of mental health parity legislation Mental health parity legislation would counter discrimination by the insurance industry against people suffering from a mental illness. 50% of suicide victims have never seen a mental health professional and 66% of suicide victims are not receiving mental health treatment at the time of their death. On September 18, 2007, the U.S. Senate passed the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (S. 558) by unanimous consent. In the House of Representatives, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 (H.R. 1424) has passed all three committees of jurisdiction. While we had hoped to see action by the end of this session, we are pleased to report that the House and Senate committees are working to negotiate a parity bill that can pass in both houses and be signed by the President. These negotiations will continue early in 2008 and we hope that parity legislation will become the law in the near future.