NH Delegation Announces More Than $735K to Support NH Youth Suicide Prevention Efforts
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) the award of $735,844 in federal funding to the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire (NAMI NH) that will bolster the organization’s youth suicide prevention efforts throughout New Hampshire. This grant was distributed through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Suicide Prevention Program. SAMHSA is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Data shows that suicide was the second most common cause of death for young Americans in 2017. This is a mental health crisis that demands our full attention,” said Senator Shaheen. “This federal funding will bolster NAMI NH’s critical work throughout New Hampshire to prevent youth suicide by raising awareness, educating the public and ensuring those who are in crisis are able to get the assistance they urgently need. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ll continue to work across the aisle to secure the resources our state and local partners need to prevent suicide, improve access to care and help those with mental illness.”
“NAMI NH has led groundbreaking efforts to address mental health challenges, saving countless lives throughout our state and making our communities stronger,” said Senator Hassan. “Youth suicide is especially devastating, and I’m glad to support additional federal funding so that NAMI NH can continue to build upon its critical work to help kids who are in crisis. And I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to end the stigma attached to mental health challenges, as well as ensure that New Hampshire has the resources it needs to help families and communities affected by mental health struggles.”
“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young people in New Hampshire and across the country, and we must do more to help young people in crisis and save lives,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “NAMI’s work is critical to raising awareness for mental illness, fighting stigma, and saving lives through suicide prevention efforts. This funding will expand NAMI’s efforts to assist young people who are struggling with mental illness. I’m pleased to announce these funds and I will continue working to secure resources that will help prevent suicide and support Americans living with mental illness.”
“We are in the throes of a mental health emergency, and we must ensure that our young people here in New Hampshire get the help and support they need,” said Congressman Pappas. “This impacts our friends, neighbors, and family members from all walks of life in every corner of the state. These funds will strengthen efforts to prevent suicide, and I am committed to continuing to work in a bipartisan fashion to secure every resource available to help us save lives.”
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and the National Center for Health Statistics, suicide was the second leading cause of death for young Americans in 2017.
