Senator’s bipartisan bill assists emergency departments in developing protocols to prevent suicide
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act – bipartisan legislation strengthening suicide screening in Arizona hospitals and emergency departments.
“Strengthening suicide screening in Arizona’s emergency departments will save lives, keep our communities safe, and provide support for Arizonans in urgent need of mental health resources,” said Sinema.
Sinema’s Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act creates a grant program to assist emergency departments in developing protocols for identifying, assessing, and treating individuals who are at high risk for suicide.
The bipartisan legislation provides training to emergency care providers on identifying and treating high-risk patients, establishes procedures on the strategies and coordination of care that ensure discharged high-risk patients are referred to treatment options, ensures the hiring of appropriate care professionals specializing in the treatment of high-risk patients, and improves access to care for individuals at high-risk of suicide.