Washington, DC - Today, President George W. Bush signed legislation, championed by Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), that is aimed at preventing youth suicide.

"No one should face the challenges of mental illness alone, and far too many children suffer their pain silently," Smith said. "Today, we are telling parents and children that we understand their struggles and that we want to help."

The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act creates a program within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to enhance suicide prevention efforts at the state and local level, and on college campuses. Specifically, the bill:

• authorizes $82 million over three years for suicide prevention programs



• provides funding to states and tribes to develop statewide youth suicide prevention and intervention strategies



• allows states to fund a variety of local programs related to suicide prevention and intervention. These may include screening programs for youth that identify mental health and behavioral conditions that place youth at risk for suicide, providing referrals for community-based treatment, and providing training activities for child care professionals and community care workers.



• establishes the federal Suicide Technical Assistance Center that will provide guidance to state and local grantees for implementing state strategies, establish standards for data collection, and collect, evaluate and disseminate data related to the program.



• provides grant funding to colleges and universities to establish or enhance their mental health outreach and treatment centers, and enhance their focus on youth suicide prevention and intervention.



• funds a variety of programs including development of networks to which students can be referred for treatment, raise awareness about the risks of youth suicide, train faculty and students to provide assistance to at-risk students, and evaluate and disseminate outcomes of mental and behavioral health.

"Sharon and I are deeply grateful for the support we've received over the past year," Smith said. "Passing this bill was very personal to us because we wanted some good to come of Garrett's tragedy. There is so much more that can be done, but this is a very strong step forward in helping children and preventing tragedies like the one we experienced."