National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) Summit
August 5 – 8, 2019
Nashville, Tennessee
The National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) is a bi-partisan organization made up of over 7800 state legislators and staff from all 50 states. Each summer the group gathers for a Legislative Summit to discuss issues and challenges, as well as share ideas and solutions. This year, August 5-8, CAMS-care will be exhibiting at this important meeting in Nashville to promote the need for evidence-based suicide-specific treatments.
Many states have been introducing legislation to address teen suicide. While this is encouraging, most of the bills only require training to help school staff and others identify signs of suicide risk, but stop short of requiring mental health professionals to receive training in effective suicide-specific treatments. Once someone has been identified as experiencing suicidal thoughts, it is critical that this person be referred to a well-qualified professional.
Some policymakers are surprised to learn that all mental health professionals are not trained in suicide assessment, intervention, and treatment as part of their general education. We hope to educate the Summit attendees to understand what is necessary to truly reduce suicide in their communities and to develop effective state laws.
About CAMS-care
At CAMS-care, we offer suicide assessment and prevention training, consulting, and resources. For more information on CAMS, please contact us.