A Son's Legacy
A year after the suicide of college student Garrett Lee Smith, his father, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), was able to announce that Congress had passed the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) wrote the bill, and lead sponsors included Smith and Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio).
The legislation authorizes $82 million for three-year grants to help states, Indian tribes, and colleges and universities develop and expand early mental health intervention and suicide prevention strategies for children and young adults.
The bill authorizes the following:
Creation of a $3 million “research, training, and technical assistance center” that will provide information, training, and technical assistance to “states, political subdivisions of a state, federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal organizations, institutions of higher education, public organizations, or private nonprofit organizations” for a range of services related to youth suicide prevention. | |||||
A new grant program that would provide funding to colleges and universities to implement early-intervention or prevention strategies to reduce student suicides. Programs can include prevention, screening, assessment, treatment, management, and education that addresses mental health problems. | |||||
Funding to enhance mental health services on college and university campuses for students with mental illness. Funds can be used, for example, for educational seminars and materials, hot-lines, and training for students and personnel to promote awareness of mental health issues. | |||||
