Tennessee Legislators are taking a stand to encourage more mental health education and suicide prevention tactics for post-secondary students in the state.
Senate Joint Resolution 726 by Senator Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) encourages the Tennessee Higher Education Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to develop and implement higher education specific protocols for the prevention, intervention and postvention of death by suicide.
Senator Crowe said, “The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) works tirelessly for Tennesseans across the state, and we believe that they will be able to help the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to develop and implement policies that will save lives at our colleges and universities.”
The resolution highlights that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students in the United States, and the third leading cause of death by Tennesseans between the ages of 18 and 24.
“Each suicide is a heartbreaking tragedy,” remarked the senator, “And students today need to be aware of the resources that are available to empower them to help themselves and their peers if they are ever experiencing suicidal ideation.”
This issue is not a new one to the legislators on Capitol Hill. In 2017, the Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention was pushed through and implemented, making Tennessee a national leader in suicide prevention.
“I have the utmost faith that TSPN will provide the leadership we need in this endeavor and we are grateful for everything they do for the people of Tennessee.”
The Senate Education Committee heard the presentation of this resolution on March 28 and recommended it for adoption. The resolution will now be placed on the Senate calendar to be heard on the Senate floor.
Graphic by Madison Vaughn
