Suicide was a central issue in the United States during the 1990s, there was a need to rally attention and the political will to prevent suicide in the nation. With the United Nations (U.N.) as a guideline the creation and implementation of national strategies published in 1996 (United Nations, 1996), the initial campaign for a national strategy was developed in the United States. These efforts resulted in two Congressional Resolutions – S. Res. 84 and H. Res. 212 of the 105th Congress – recognizing suicide as a national problem and suicide prevention a national priority. The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy) set forth an impressive itinerary, organized under the AIM framework described in the Surgeon General’s Call to Action, entailing of eleven goals and sixty-eight objectives. With the power to help transform attitudes, services, and policies, it was a document meant to serve as social change (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). For the broader suicide prevention community, the National …show more content…
Government agencies, of all degrees, nonprofit organizations, schools, and businesses started programs addressing prevention. A progress report called Charting the Future of Suicide Prevention discussed many of the accomplishments of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, 2010). The most vital legislative accomplishment within the field of youth suicide prevention within the past decade is the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (GLSMA) of 2004; named of Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), who’s son committed suicide in 2003. The first significant federal grant program specifically for suicide prevention was created by the GLSMA, providing grants to tribes, states, territories, and institutions of higher