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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 75
BY SENATOR NEVERS
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, through its office
of behavioral health, to study and develop a list of suicide assessment, intervention,
treatment, and management training programs meeting the Suicide Prevention
Resource Center best practices standards to make available for access by medical
professionals and the public in the state of Louisiana; that the department further
develop a list of which other professional and citizen groups, beyond the medical
professions, the department recommends should be offered such training on a
voluntary basis; and that the department recommends how best to make such training
widely accessible for use in Louisiana, through online access or otherwise.
WHEREAS, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States of
America; and
WHEREAS, suicide kills more people in this country each year than automobile
accidents; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, twelve out of every one hundred thousand people in Louisiana
committed suicide; and
WHEREAS, early detection and competent care in the treatment of suicidal thoughts
can save lives; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, a study conducted in the state of Georgia demonstrated that a
group of mental health professionals without best practices suicide prevention training
demonstrated a nine-percent group average competency rate in suicide assessment and
intervention, and, after only a minimal number of hours of such empirically-supported
training, the group's average competency rate in suicide assessment and intervention rose to
eighty-nine percent; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is currently making
available to many state agency personnel best practices, empirically-supported training in
suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management; and SCR NO. 75 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, many evidence-based, successful suicide prevention training programs
are available online and otherwise at minimal cost through organizations such as the
nationally recognized Suicide Prevention Resource Center and the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention; and
WHEREAS, in addition to Louisiana's medical professionals and professions such
as educators and law enforcement, other civic or citizen groups, such as students, could
benefit from such suicide assessment and intervention training.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals, through its office of behavioral
health, to study and develop a list of suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and
management training programs meeting the Suicide Prevention Resource Center best
practices standards to make available for access by medical professionals and the public in
the state of Louisiana; that the department further develop a list of which other professional
and citizen groups, beyond the medical professions, the department recommends should be
offered such training on a voluntary basis; and that the department recommend how best to
make such training widely accessible for use in Louisiana, through online access or
otherwise.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge
and request the Department of Health and Hospitals complete this study and deliver a written
report with its findings and recommendations to the health and welfare committees of the
Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives on or before January 1, 2015.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, and to the assistant secretary of
Department of Health and Hospitals, office of behavioral health.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES