Delaware
Delaware suicide prevention plans and initiatives
Youth suicide prevention efforts are housed within the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and their Families, Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services (DSCYF, DPBHS). The Delaware Suicide Prevention Coalition is made up of state, private, and nonprofit organizations, including AFSP, and staffed by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DHSS, DSAMH). The Coalition is tasked by the legislature to review and analyze statistics and patterns related to suicide and suicide attempts; consult with the Division of Public Health to determine the prevalence of suicide; implement methods to reduce suicide and attempts; and manage the Gun Shop Project (16 Del. C. § 6201-6202). The Coalition must also operate in accordance with the State of Delaware Suicide Prevention Plan, a five-year strategy (2013-2018) approved by the Coalition in June 2013; the Plan was recently extended to 2023.
Delaware laws
Key:
- Required by law
- Encouraged by law
- No law in place
Crisis lines and 988 implementation
- Addresses 988 infrastructure and provides for telecom user fee
- Addresses 988 infrastructure but does not include telecom user fee
- 988 law limited to creating an exploratory commission, advisory committee, or task force
Mental health parity
- Public health plans (e.g., Medicaid) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
- Private health plans (individual and group) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
K – 12 school suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Student allowances for excused mental health absences
- School personnel must report student suicide risk to a parent and/or guardian
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, annual
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, not annual
- Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention policies/programming
- Student education on suicide prevention
Health professional training in suicide assessment, treatment and management
- Mental health professionals receive regular training
- Mental health professionals receive one time training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive regular training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive one time training
Conversion therapy bans
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with minors under 18 years of age
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with vulnerable adults
- Prohibits use of state funds for any purpose related to conversion therapy (e.g., conducting, making a referral for, or extending health benefits coverage for)
University and college campus suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Students receive information on available mental health and/or suicide prevention services and/or resources
- Adoption of suicide prevention/awareness policy or program