They're back. Contact Your State Legislators today and tell them to save the lives of Washington's young people by preserving funding for Youth Suicide Prevention Program.
Watch YSPP board member Scot Reynolds testify in front of the legislature.
Talking points from Our Economic Future can be found here.
Over the years, Washington State has gradually decreased YSPP's funding from an original $500,000 a year to only $116,000. In spite of this reduction, YSPP has continued to provide critical youth suicide prevention efforts statewide. But now, our state government is proposing cutting our funding to $0.
If we lose these funds, then youth, parents, teachers, counselors, and others around the state will not get the education and training they need to prevent young people from dying by suicide.
Can you help us make sure that this vital funding is restored, and that future cuts do not reduce prevention work that helps to save lives?
Click here to find out who your state legislators are and how to contact them. There is a sample letter below.
Let them know that each week in our state
- an average of 2 young people die by suicide.
- 1 in 10 have thoughts of suicide.
- 17 are hospitalized because of a suicide attempt.
Let them know that these deaths are preventable. That 80% of youths who die by suicide just want their pain to end. Let them know that because of YSPP, youth, parents, educators, peers, counselors, and others in the community know the warning signs, know what to say and what to do when a young person is at risk of dying by suicide.
A high school student who received our prevention materials told us:
"It opened my eyes to suicide and depression so I can use it in my life."
Please tell the state not to cut funding for suicide prevention so that another young person who just wants their pain to stop does not die by suicide.
If you know others that would champion this cause, please spread the word.
Below is a sample letter you can send. Please modify it in your own words and tell the governor and legislators why youth suicide prevention is important and worth funding.
THANK YOU!
Dear [Legislator’s Name],
I am a supporter of the Youth Suicide Prevention Program (YSPP). I support this organization because I have seen so many of our state's youth and those who care about them impacted by suicide.
In our state, an average of 2 young people die by suicide each week, 17 more are hospitalized every week because of a suicide attempt, and 1 in 10 have admitted to having thoughts of suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Washington youth. Only accidents kill more youths every year. Those who are LGBTQ and Native are at the highest risk of dying by suicide. Most importantly, these deaths are preventable. About 80% of youths with thoughts of suicide want help and give warning signs that they are in distress, but they don’t know how to ask for help or where to turn. YSPP teaches teens and adults how to recognized these warning signs, and what to do and what to say to help a young person whose life is at risk.
Please save the lives of young people by protecting the funding for the Youth Suicide Prevention Program.
YSPP is the only agency in the State of Washington charged with implementation of the Department of Health's Suicide Prevention Plan. For more than 11 years, their expert staff have been working across the state to teach teens, teachers, parents, counselors, first responders, and others in the community how to recognized the warning signs of suicide, and what one can do and say to help a young person at risk.
When a young person dies by suicide, they leave loved ones with an unspeakable grief and questions that will never be answered. And it burdens our healthcare system with unnecessary costs.
YSPP's funding has been gradually decreased over the years from an original $500,000 a year to only $116,000 a year.
It is imperative that we finally acknowledge suicide as the health threat it is, and devote our resources to suicide prevention education so that another young person who just wants their pain to stop does not die by suicide.
Please keep the funding for YSPP.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]