Bill > HCR129

This Concurrent Resolution requests the Department of Health, Hawaii's state health agency, to create guidelines for hospitals to better care for patients who are thinking about suicide. These guidelines should include providing one-on-one counseling for individuals contemplating or attempting suicide, ensuring 24/7 access to trained suicide counselors, offering counseling in emergency rooms for these patients, prohibiting discharge for homeless patients contemplating or attempting suicide, and preventing discharge to correctional facilities if the patient is not a danger to others. The resolution also emphasizes treating these patients with respect and compassion, and requires the Department of Health to report its proposed protocols and any necessary legislation to the state Legislature by a specific date. This action is prompted by the concerning rise in suicide rates and the recognition that healthcare settings are critical points for intervention, especially since many individuals who die by suicide have had recent contact with healthcare providers without a formal mental health diagnosis.