of this page or responsible for its content.
EPORT SPAN
R
EPORT
4
-2-
(contributed by Tom Hennessy)
The San Francisco Giants baseball
club is paving the way for a new
understanding of suicide among the general population.
On September 3, while playing the Arizona Diamondbacks at
SBC stadium in San Francisco, the giants promoted the theme,
Stop a Suicide Today. According to Jayme Fulford, a spokes-
woman for the Giants, the promotion was suggested by an organi-
zation called Screening for Mental Health.
Our ushers passed out 4x6 cards with the warning signs of
suicide. We also did some informational messages during the
game on the scoreboard. It was quite an issue for a baseball team
to take up, but we had a great response to it.
Fulford said the promotion, which used such messages as
Keep a friend in the game, may be repeated next year.
4
San Francisco
Giants Promote
Suicide Prevention
4
Fresno Implements Youth
Depression Screening
The Fresno Area Teen Screen Pilot Project, working under the
leadership of Fresno Survivors of Suicide Loss (SOSL), has begun
implementing the Columbia Teen Screen youth depression screen-
ing program. The project has begun at a Fresno area high school
and is expected to be rolled out county-wide in the near future.
SOSL Director Leann Gouveia, announced the program,
which offers free training and implementation assistance for any
group wishing to start the screening.
We felt that because the screening tool is computer-based,
kids would feel free to respond more truthfully and without fear
of judgment, Gouveia stated. The statistics back this up. In sites
across the U.S. where Columbia Teen Screen has been implement-
ed, it is working very effectively, especially at finding the troubled
kids who would not otherwise be identified as high risk.
The program offers professional help and valuable resources.
Our entire community has come together in this project to offer
immediate help to those students with immediate needs, she
added.
Thank you to our Conference Sponsors
The Jason Foundation, Inc.
, at
Alhambra Hospital, Fremont Hospital,
Heritage Oaks Hospital and
Sierra Vista Hospital
By Mark Chaffee
Now that we have draft-
ed the California
Strategy for Suicide
Prevention, what is the
next step? SPAN-California has
been working since the conference
to gain the support needed within
the state to turn it into policy that
gets implemented in each county.
We already have private sector
volunteers, and a commitment from
Dr. Mayberg and the Department of
Mental Health. However, more rep-
resentation is needed from the vari-
ous state departments that cross
into suicide prevention, such as
Justice, Education and Corrections.
Whats needed is a task force of
public and private sector experts to
finalize the plan. The best way to
get this done, is through a legislative
sponsor.
We have been asking several of
our friends in the Senate and
Assembly to commit to sponsoring
this task force and hitting a home
run, but it hasnt happened yet.
This no cost solution will have a
big impact, by moving public policy
forward in the right way. Contact
your legislators and let them know
what needs to be done.
Message From the
President of SPAN-
California
SOLVAY
Pharmaceuticals -3-
4
Warning Signs
Brochures Available
Thanks to a grant from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services (Region IX, Office of
Public Health and Science), SPAN-
California is again offering
brochures on the warning signs of
suicide and depression.
The brochure, entitled Suicide
Prevention: Risk Factors and How
to Help Someone in Crisis, can be
shipped in quantities of up to 200
at no charge. Please email
micchaffee@adelphia.net or write
to SPAN-California, P.O. Box
235260, Encinitas, CA 92023.
4
Long Beach
Press-Telegram
Runs Series
The Long Beach Press-Telegram
newspaper is running an 8-part
series on suicide prevention and
survivors. Columnist Tom
Hennessy, who lost his son to sui-
cide in early 2004, is writing the
articles and hopes to educate peo-
ple about this huge problem.
It began after his sons death
when he shared his grief with read-
ers of his column. The response
was overwhelming, Hennessy stat-
ed. I received thousands of letters
and emails from people who want-
ed to learn more about preventing
suicide.
The articles can be viewed at
www.presstelegram.com and are
running October 17-24.
California Legislative Update
State Legislators Evaluating Risk of Anti-
Depressants in Teens
Public attention has been focused on the recent news, which says anti-
depressants may be linked to suicide in teens. To further study this
issue, Senator Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) convened a senate hearing
on the subject where many testified, including SPAN-California
President Mark Chaffee.
Although SPAN-California has no evidence-based research on the
topic, it is something of great concern. SPAN sees youth suicide as an
area of particular focus in the California Strategy for Suicide Prevention
and it is even more important than ever to have the state call for a task
force to oversee the plan. Torlakson pledges to continue studying the
anti-depressant issue.
Proposition 63 Offers Hope to Weary
Mental Health System
Proposition 63, known as the Mental Health Services Act, could be the
answer to the the lack of state funding for mental health programs. If
passed, Prop. 63 would levy a 1% tax on incomes over $1 million to
expand mental health services in the state.
Over a million people in California are
estimated to suffer from serious mental ill-
ness and many do not always get the care
they need. They must rely on county health
care agencies that struggle to provide psychi-
atric assistance, hospitalization, substance
abuse treatment and other needed services.
The county health care agencies depend on
state and federal funding, which observers in
the mental health field say is inadequate.
The Proposition recognizes suicide as an
outcome of untreated mental illness and
talks about funding prevention efforts.
SPAN-California is a supporter of this initia-
tive.
Thank you to our Expert Panel
Chairperson:
Beth Sise, JD, RN, MSN,
Scripps Mercy Hospital
Sam Bloom,
SPAN-California
Michael Borunda,
California Department of Mental Health
Lisa Firestone, Ph.D.,
Glendon Association
DeQuincy Lezine, M.A.,
UCLA
Dr. Jerry Motto,
Suicidologist
Jay Nagdimon, Ph.D.,
Suicide Prevention Center at
Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center
Jerry Reed,
SPAN-USA
Rosemary Rubin,
Los Angeles Unified School District
Ramya Sundararaman,
Suicide Prevention Resource
Center
Dr. Maurice Weise,
Los Angeles County Department of
Mental Health
Billlie Weiss,
Violence Prevention Coalition, Los Angeles
Department of Health Services Representing Californias Department of Mental Health, Director Dr. Stephen
Mayberg (photo at left) helped kick off the conference. His Assistant Director
Mike Borunda (photo above, on left) worked with the group for two full days
and accepted the plan on behalf of the state from Mark Chaffee at the confer-
ence closing. Nothing is as powerful as your voice!
ONE Individual Should Complete All Three Letters On This Page. Return to SPAN-California.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Advocates the development of a
proven, effective suicide
prevention program
SPAN-California
P.O. Box 235260
Encinitas, CA 92023
California State Senator:
COMPLETE NAME
Printed Name____________________________________________________
Street Address___________________________________________________
City_____________________________ST______Zip___________________
Signature X_____________________________________________________
Date_________________
I petition you to please...
Direct resources to imple-
ment Suicide Prevention
Programs as called for in the
Surgeon Generals National
Strategy for Suicide
Prevention and promote
accessible and affordable
Mental Health Services for
all Californians.
Thank You!
Your comments are important:_________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Advocates the development of a
proven, effective suicide
prevention program
SPAN-California
P.O. Box 235260
Encinitas, CA 92023
California Assemblymember:
COMPLETE NAME
Printed Name____________________________________________________
Street Address___________________________________________________
City_____________________________ST______Zip___________________
Signature X_____________________________________________________
Date_________________
I petition you to please...
Direct resources to imple-
ment Suicide Prevention
Programs as called for in the
Surgeon Generals National
Strategy for Suicide
Prevention and promote
accessible and affordable
Mental Health Services for
all Californians.
Thank You!
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Advocates the development of a
proven, effective suicide
prevention program
SPAN-California
P.O. Box 235260
Encinitas, CA 92023
California Governor:
COMPLETE NAME
Printed Name____________________________________________________
Street Address___________