SECTIONS 4098-4098.5 - California Statutes

WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE

SECTION 4098-4098.5

4098. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The Surgeon General of the United States has described suicide
prevention as a serious public health priority, and has called upon
each state to develop a strategy for suicide prevention using a
public health approach.
(b) In 1996, 3,401 Californians lost their lives to suicide, an
average of nine residents per day. It is estimated that there are
between 75,000 and 100,000 suicide attempts in California every year.
11 percent of all suicides in the nation take place in California.
(c) Adolescents are far more likely to attempt suicide than their
older California counterparts. Data indicate that there are 100
attempts for every adolescent suicide completed. In 1996, 207
California youth died by suicide. Using this estimate, there were
likely more than 20,000 suicide attempts made by California
adolescents, and approximately 20 percent of all the estimated
suicide attempts occurred in California.
(d) Of all of the violent deaths associated with schools
nationwide since 1992, 14 percent were suicides.
(e) Homicide and suicide rank as the third and fifth leading
causes of death for youth, respectively. Both are preventable. While
the death rates for unintentional injuries decreased by more than 40
percent between 1979 and 1996, the death rates for homicide and
suicide increased for youth. Evidence is growing in terms of the
links between suicide and other forms of violence. This provides
compelling reasons for broadening the state's scope in identifying
risk factors for self-harmful behavior. The number of estimated youth
suicide attempts; and the growing concerns of youth violence can
best be addressed through the implementation of successful gatekeeper
training programs to identify and refer youth at risk for
self-harmful behavior.
(f) The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) conservatively
estimates that the lives of at least six persons related to or
connected to individuals who attempt or complete suicide are
impacted. Using these estimates, in 1996, more than 600,000
Californians, or 1,644 individuals per day, struggled to cope with
the impact of suicide.
(g) Restriction of access to lethal means significantly reduces
the number of successful suicides.
(h) Actual incidents of suicide attempts are expected to be higher
than reported because attempts not requiring medical attention are
less likely to be reported. The underreporting of suicide completion
is also likely since suicide classification involves conclusions
regarding the intent of the deceased. The stigma associated with
suicide is also likely to contribute to underreporting.
(i) Without interagency collaboration and support for proven,
community-based, culturally competent suicide prevention and
intervention programs, occurrences of suicide are likely to rise.

4098.1. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
California Suicide Prevention Act of 2000.

4098.2. (a) The State Department of Mental Health, contingent upon
appropriation in the annual Budget Act, may establish and implement a
suicide prevention, education, and gatekeeper training program to
reduce the severity, duration, and incidence of suicidal behaviors.
(b) In developing and implementing the components of this program,
the department shall build upon the existing network of nonprofit
suicide prevention programs in the state, and shall utilize the
expertise of existing suicide prevention programs that meet any of
the following criteria:
(1) Have been identified by a county as providing suicide
prevention services for that county.
(2) Are certified by the American Association of Suicidology.
(3) Meet criteria for suicide prevention programs that may be
established by the department.
(c) The program established by this section shall be consistent
with the public health model proposed by the Surgeon General of the
United States, and the system of care approach pursuant to the
Bronzan-McCorquodale Act, Part 2 (commencing with Section 5600) of
Division 5.

4098.3. The department may contract with an outside agency to
establish and implement a targeted public awareness and education
campaign on suicide prevention and treatment. Target populations
shall include junior high and high school students, as well as other
selected populations known to be at high risk of suicide.

4098.4. (a) The department may contract with local mental health
organizations and professionals with expertise in the assessment and
treatment of suicidal behaviors to develop an evidence-based
assessment and prevention program for suicide that may be integrated
with local mental health departments or replicated by public or
private suicide treatment programs, or both.
(b) This component may include the creation of guidebooks and
training protocols to improve the intervention capabilities of
caregivers who work with individuals at risk of suicide. Applicants
may reflect several gatekeeper training models that can be replicated
in other communities.

4098.5. The department may establish and implement, or contract
with an outside agency for the development of a multicounty, 24-hour,
centralized suicide crisis line integrated network. Existing crisis
lines that meet specifications of the department and the American
Association of Suicidology may be included in this integrated
network. The crisis line established under this section shall link
persons at risk of committing suicide with local suicide prevention
and treatment resources.