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We do not provide crisis counseling.  If you or someone you know are feeling suicidal, please call 1-800-273-TALK(8255) now.  It is a 24-hour crisis-line devoted specifically to suicide and it connects you to someone in your local area.  Again, 1-800-273-TALK(8255).

 

MASP advocates for policies that reduce attempted and completed suicides (prevention) and provide more support to those who have already lost a loved one to suicide (postvention).  We raise awareness about issues and ongoing initiatives throughout the policymaking process.  However, as a 501(c)(3) organization, we do not go as far as lobbying - that is, accepting funds or gifts of any kind in order to endorse or promote policies.  We also educate individuals, organizations, and communities on planning their suicide-related policies and acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to bring them to fruition.  Michigan has been recognized nationally as being at the forefront of suicide prevention, but we still have a lot of work to do!

 

County Coalitions

 

MASP now has a list of suicide prevention coalitions by county, thanks to Pat Smith of MDCH and the recent efforts of Ellen Pare of Macomb County Community Mental Health.  Coalition members include local advocates, mental health professionals, government officials, and survivors who are all committed to addressing and preventing suicide in their local areas.  We also maintain a list of local support groups for people who have lost a loved one to suicide.

 

Michigan Suicide Prevention Coalition (MiSPC), 2003-2010

 

Around 1997, a workgroup consisting of mental health professionals, state officials, academicians and survivors of suicides assembled to mobilize prevention efforts at the state level.  The group labored for two years to develop a statewide plan, but consensus could not be reached.  However, the foundation was laid for a second group to complete their important work.  In October 2003, the MiSPC was founded in Midland, Michigan as a separate organization under MASP's 501(c)(3) non-profit status.  For the next two years, this group used the earlier draft and the 2001 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to plan Michigan's response to the following challenge - how do we address suicide throughout the state with limited resources and a diverse range of needs?  The outcome was the Michigan Suicide Prevention Plan (see below).

The coalition was led by Patricia K. Smith, Violence Prevention Program Coordinator for the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), and Larry Lewis, MSW, President of the Michigan chapter of the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) and now MASP.  Members came from different regions of the state and diverse backgrounds, including (but not limited to) crisis lines, academic institutions, private and community mental health agencies, foundations, suicide prevention organizations, and survivor of suicide support groups.  In January 2010, representatives from both MASP and MiSPC met and agreed to merge MiSPC back into MASP.  Click here to read the resolution.  Since it passed, we announced our joint plan to transition coalition members over to the MASP's new listserve.

Michigan Suicide Prevention Plan (2005)

 

This 5-year state plan outlines the activities and resources that are needed to meet ten major goals in order to significantly reduce suicide deaths and attempts.  The goals cover topics such as risk assessment, lethal means, treatment, research, stigma, and community involvement.  The plan was accepted in 2005 by Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Michigan's Surgeon General, on behalf of Governor Jennifer Granholm.  In the plan, MASP was tasked with helping to monitor implementation efforts by MDCH and other partnering organizations.  MASP will be stepping up its efforts to identify and eliminate delays that have slowed the plan's progress. 

 

Evolution of Suicide Policy at the National Level

 

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) web site has a timeline of key events that have contributed to the suicide prevention movement and the development of suicide-related policy at the national level.  Since 2006, the last year in the timeline, we have passed another milestone.  We now have a federal law on mental health parity, which aims to stop health insurance companies from placing more limits on the use of services for mental health than what is permitted for physical health.

 

National Newsletters

 

Click here to view the SPRC's current issue of The Weekly Spark, a national newsletter that covers policy and other topics related to suicide.  It is published every Friday.  Also, please visit our blog for our President's insights into featured items that may appeal to advocates in Michigan.

 

The SAMHSA News also provides information on suicide policy nationwide.  Click here to view the current issue.

 

Want More Information?

 

Please check our Calendar, Blog, and Policy Links on a regular basis to learn about meetings and events in Michigan and beyond that are related to suicide policy development and implementation, such as policy presentations, TA conferences, and public rallies such as the annual "Walk A Mile in My Shoes" in Lansing.

We also plan to add the following information to this page:

         MASP, P.O. Box 0546, Allen Park, MI, 48101-0546, (734) 624-8328, masponweb@ymail.com

 

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Last Updated: 3/21/2010