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Florida Office of 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
History of Suicide Prevention in
Florida
Florida State Task Force on Suicide Prevention
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.
Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition (FSPC)
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.
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.
Contact us to for more
information.
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Survivor’s Notes: This
section will expand for those loved ones who have survived a
suicide, and for those who have attempted suicide, to
recount their stories. By telling your stories, you will be
able to help those who have experienced the trauma and can
benefit to know that they are not alone. For those
contemplating suicide, your stories may give them the second
option they need to reach out for help. And for others, it
may just alert them to the warning signs of those around
them. feel free to contact the editor to submit your stories
at
fisp@earthlink.net
-
(954) 384-7988 (fax).
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