WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the bipartisan Native American Suicide Prevention Act—legislation requiring statewide suicide prevention programs to collaborate with Native American tribes.
“Including tribal communities in statewide suicide prevention efforts reinforces our commitment to ensure the government provides critical health services to all Native American families,” said Sinema.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Native Americans ages 10-34, and the suicide rate for Native Americans ages 15-34 is 1.5 times higher than the national average. The Native American Suicide Prevention Act amends the Public Health Service Act and requires states to collaborate with tribal communities in the crafting and implementation of state-wide suicide intervention and prevention strategies, providing tribal governments a greater voice in the suicide prevention process.
The Native American Suicide Prevention Act is supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Association on American Indian Affairs, the National Council of Urban Indian Health, and the Association for Behavioral Healthcare.
