As the Emergency Nurses Association finished its Day off the Hill advocacy event, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the ENA-supported Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act.
The bill focuses on improving the ability of health care professionals working in hospital emergency departments to identify, assess and treat patients with signs of suicidality.
“The timing of this bill couldn’t be more perfect. Our members work hard to advocate for important legislation such as this and it’s exciting to see one of our priorities pass the same week ENA hosted its annual advocacy event,” said ENA President Ron Kraus, MSN, RN, EMT, CEN, ACNS-BC, TCRN. “Emergency nurses see many patients for both physical and mental health issues. With the help of this legislation, we can further support and treat those who may be in danger of harming themselves.”
H.R. 1324 would amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the identification, assessment, and treatment of patients in emergency departments who are at risk of suicide. The funding provided by this bill would help emergency departments to:
Train health care professionals to identify, assess and treat patients at risk of suicide.
Establish policies and best practices for emergency departments to better identify, assess and treat patients at risk of suicide.
Develop optimal procedures to properly discharge patients from the emergency department.
Hire emergency department-specific behavioral health professionals.
Implement follow-up care and long-term treatment for individuals at risk of suicide.
ENA thanks Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., for his leadership in introducing and securing House passage of this important legislation. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
ENA urges emergency nurses to contact their senators to request support for this important bill.
On Wednesday, May 12 the U.S. House of Representatives passed a large group of mental health and suicide prevention bills in recognition of May Mental Health Month:
- The STANDUP Act (H.R. 586)
- Mental Health Services for Students Act (H.R.721)
- Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act (H.R.1205)
- Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act (H.R.1324)
- Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act (H.R.1475)
- Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act (H.R.1480)
- The Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act (H.R. 2862)
- Suicide Prevention Act (H.R.2955)
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act (H.R.2981)
These pieces of legislation will increase access to mental health care, expand vital resources for students, and enhance research opportunities. These legislative efforts would support key resources for youth, including increasing access to mental health professionals in schools, training programs on suicide prevention awareness, increased funding for research into mental health disparities in youth of color, and increased support for efforts to diversify the behavioral health workforce.
Emergency room suicide prevention efforts would also be addressed by broadening access to screening, implementing updated protocols, leveraging new technology, and providing follow-up care to connect patients with resources upon discharge. We are also supportive of efforts to intensify data surveillance, expanding real-time data collection of suicide and self-harm that will better inform prevention. First responder suicide prevention efforts were also included to ensure that the mental health needs of first responders are being addressed and new best practices are developed.
Additional legislative efforts included improvements to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by strengthening standards and publicizing the change to 9-8-8 as the suicide prevention and mental health crisis line in July 2022.
