Suicide Prevention Assistance Act
This bill, titled the Suicide Prevention Assistance Act, would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a federal grant program. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, via the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, would award grants to primary care offices to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services. Grants would fund hiring clinical social workers, routine screening for self-harm and suicide by primary care physicians, short-term prevention services by social workers, and referrals for long-term care when needed. The program is capped to a maximum of 10 grants, with limitations on how many grants a single office or state can receive, and each grant could be up to $500,000 for a 2-year period (renewable). The bill also requires development of screening standards, quarterly reporting by grant recipients, and periodic program evaluations by federal agencies (CDC and NIMH) to Congress.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a grant program to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services in primary care offices under the Public Health Service Act.
- 2Grant activities funded: hire one or more clinical social workers; PCPs screen patients for self-harm/suicide; social workers provide short-term prevention services; social workers refer patients for long-term services as appropriate.
- 3Grant limits: up to 10 grants total; no more than 1 grant per primary care office; no more than 1 grant per state; each grant up to $500,000, for 2 years, with renewal possible.
- 4Standards of practice: the Secretary must develop screening standards within 180 days of enactment, in consultation with relevant stakeholder groups.
- 5Reporting and evaluation: grant recipients must file quarterly reports; the Secretary must deliver a comprehensive report to Congress and HHS biennially (starting 2 years after enactment) evaluating the program, with input from CDC and NIMH.
- 6Definitions and scope: clarifies terms like “primary care office,” “state,” and identifies appropriate congressional committees for oversight.