Action Alliance Moves Field Forward
February 03, 2011
For those of us in the suicide prevention community, September 10, 2010 was a day we had worked long and hard to see arrive. When the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention was written, it called for a public-private partnership dedicated to implementing the Strategy. On September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, this public-private partnership was launched as the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
For most, it was a day like any other, its significance going largely unnoticed. For our field, however, it was a day that I hope will be etched in history and be a milestone that serves as the beginning of many great accomplishments.
In the fifteen years that I’ve been in the field, so much has changed.
When I first became active, the 104th Congress (1995-1996) of the United States referenced suicide 43 times in the Congressional Record. In the 111th Congress (2009-2010) there were 183 references to suicide in the Congressional Record indicating increased public policy discussion and activity in our national legislature. When the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention was launched in 2001, just a handful of states had a strategy for suicide prevention. Today, 48 states have a strategy in place. When the National Strategy was launched we had no national resource center for suicide prevention and we had no federal funding for youth suicide prevention and early intervention. Today, this is no longer the case.
Over the last fifteen years, we’ve built on the passion of those touched by suicide to develop dedicated and committed organizations. We have political will and elected and appointed officials who do their part. We’ve developed a sound knowledge base and have been guided in our collective efforts by the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Now we have both public and private leadership to support the fullest implementation of that Strategy.
As a nation, we have already taken critical steps in lifting the veil of secrecy around suicide. Because we now discuss suicide as a preventable public health problem, we are able to take positive steps to do something about suicide. Those of us in the field have long known that suicide is a preventable form of death and that applying a public and behavioral health approach gives us a way to address the many complexities of this behavior with the aim of saving lives. It is my hope that through the efforts of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, others will become aware of this fact as well.
The Action Alliance holds the promise of allowing us to bring the forces, leverage and resources of both the public and private sector together in a way that will give us the best chance of reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with suicidal behavior in our nation. Under the leadership of the Honorable John McHugh, Secretary of the Army, and the Honorable Gordon Smith, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Action Alliance is able to engage voices not routinely heard in suicide prevention. The work of the Action Alliance will complement and support the excellent work being done by individuals and organizations dedicated to suicide prevention. In short, the mission of the Action Alliance is to champion suicide prevention as a national priority; catalyze efforts to implement high priority objectives of the National Strategy; and cultivate the resources needed to sustain progress.
As several task forces begin their work, I for one am quite encouraged that we are harnessing our efforts, pulling together to work as one united field, and avoiding the fragmentation and duplication that sometimes accompanies well-intentioned efforts. In my humble opinion, this is our “moment of truth.”
Never before have we had such promise, potential and possibility within our reach. If we are going to truly address the challenge of suicide in our nation, we must embrace, lead and seize the moment. We should all look for ways to see what we can do to support the work of the Action Alliance, stay connected to the effort and work for action, results and accountability. I know for some this day has been a long time coming and delays have often been seen as lack of commitment. I, on the other hand, am quite gratified when I look at how far our nation has come since my first experiences in the field in 1996. I have always been one who sees the glass as half full and admittedly have always wanted things to move more quickly than they have. In truth, however, when you review our field over the past fifteen years, much has been achieved. I am optimistic with the Action Alliance as our newest chapter, much more will be done.
On February 9, the Executive Committee of the Action Alliance will meet for the first time since the September launch. I invite you all to visit the website that will launch this week to learn more about the work of the Action Alliance. I also encourage you to stay in touch with the Executive Secretariat of the Action Alliance which is housed in the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Please send us your thoughts. I would like to close by bringing your attention to a document highlighting some of our recent accomplishments in the field called Charting the Future. The progress in our field has been truly remarkable. Let’s work together to continue this legacy.