My husband Phillip Clarke took his own life on January 21, 2018 after a long battle with mental illness. Five months before his death, he was hospitalized for several weeks following a near successful suicide attempt. While he received three weeks of treatment for the physical repercussions of his attempt, he was discharged after barely 72 hours of psychiatric treatment. With virtually no community based supports in place, and no education or warning from the hospital about the increased risk that Phillip might attempt again, he was released.

We had no caseworker. No contacts except at the hospital and they weren't returning our calls. Once discharged, he was no longer their concern. We had no one to turn to when we couldn't get his mood stabilizing medications due to insurance waiting periods and insufficient funds to buy the medication outright. There was no one to help us connect to community based resources who could help. We knocked on a lot of the wrong doors. No one helped us. We fell into that in between category where we did not qualify for Medicaid, but we could not afford to purchase his medication for the cash price.  Five months later and 12 days after we were able to finally get his medicine through insurance, Phillip successfully completed suicide, leaving the lives of myself and our children shattered and forever changed. Life will never be the same for us. We will never be the same. We are not alone in our new reality. 

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming the lives of over 48,100 people in 2021. "It was the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34, the third leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15-24, and the fifth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35-44 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC). These numbers are only increasing at alarming rates, effecting people of every race, religion. ethnicity, identity and economic status.  

The Improved Suicide Prevention, Response, and Treatment Act of New Jersey (NJ State 221st Legislature: A1536, S322) aims to enhance existing suicide prevention efforts. This bill requires provision of services through state and local agencies by which an individual who has been hospitalized for a suicide attempt would be discharged using a warm hand-off designed to insure smooth transitions of care. They would be contacted by the Certified Suicide Prevention Counselor assigned to their case within two days of discharge and again during pre-determined periods throughout their recovery to assist the survivor in overcoming barriers to service access and ensure the individual does not re-enter crisis. This "warm hand-offs" close contact approach to case management in the months post-attempt ensures immediate access to one on one counseling and improved access to services should that individual become at risk of re-entering crisis. 

If passed into law, NJ bill A1536, S322 would enhance current suicide prevention law by requiring State and Local governments to create Certified Suicide Prevention Units ready to be dispatched 24/7 so that all people experiencing a mental health emergency can immediately begin one on one crisis counseling. 

NJ Bill A1536, S322 also requires 2 hours annual in-service training for Law Enforcement on recognizing the signs of a suicidal crisis and safe de-escalation practices. It also allocates funds to improve NJ Suicide Crisis Hotline Services.

Please pledge your support today for NJ Bill A1536, S322. By signing this petition you are asking NJ Lawmakers (Governor Phil Murphy; Assemlywoman Victoria Flynn, Assemblymen Webber, Dephillips, Torrissi and Scharfenberger; Senator Patrick Diegnan, Jr,. Senator Linda R. Greenstein) to make this bill Law so we can prevent suicide loss in NJ. It will save lives and prevent thousands of families from being irreparably devastated by suicide loss.

If this bill were to be passed, we can immediately begin the work towards eliminating suicide loss by creating a more accessible environment where individuals like my husband Phillip are not overlooked or underserved but instead receive the comprehensive care, access to support and the services they desperately need to survive and win the battle against suicide. Please sign this petition today to advocate for improved suicide prevention measures in New Jersey through passing bill NJA1536, NJS322.