November 8, 2017 – Congressional Briefing on Youth Suicide and Self-Injury
NEABPD, in partnership with Behavioral Tech, hosts a major congressional briefing titled "A Crisis of Epidemic Proportions: Youth Suicide and Self-Injury" in coordination with Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, and Congressmen John Katko and Don Beyer, Co-Chairs of the Suicide Task Force, with support from Congressman Eliot Engel.
The briefing brings together congressional leaders, nationally recognized experts, and individuals with lived experience to address the escalating public health crisis of youth suicide and self-injury. Speakers include world-renowned clinicians and researchers Dr. Alan Fruzzetti and Dr. Blaise Aguirre; Preston Thompson, CEO of Behavioral Tech; two family advocates, Lynn Courey and Stacey Ahner; young adult advocate Krissy Ahner; and Dr. Perry Hoffman, President and Co-Founder of NEABPD.
By centering both scientific expertise and lived experience, the briefing highlights the urgent need for early intervention, evidence-based treatment, family-inclusive care, and suicide prevention strategies. This event represents a significant moment in NEABPD's federal advocacy efforts, elevating youth suicide and self-injury as critical policy issues and reinforcing the importance of compassionate, informed responses within mental health systems.