RI Bill Would Add Suicide, Substance Abuse Crisis Hotline Numbers To School IDs

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island lawmakers introduced a bill to add the phone numbers of suicide prevention and substance abuse crisis hotlines on student identification cards.

The bill was brought by state Sen. Victoria Gu and state Rep. Earl A. Read III.

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“With the increasing mental health challenges facing young people, it’s important to put every available resource at their fingertips, literally,” Gu, D-Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown, said in a media release.

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“These hotlines are anonymous, available 24/7 and give students an opportunity to open up about their struggles with a trained professional," Gu said.

Representative Read, who served for 23 years with the Warwick Police Department, stressed the importance of these hotlines in preventing mental health struggles from becoming tragedies, according to the release.

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“Children know to call 911 in an emergency, but far fewer of them know to call 988, the national suicide and crisis number, or similar hotlines when they are struggling with mental health or substances,” Read, D-Coventry, West Warwick, Warwick, said in the release.

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“These resources are so important in helping those in crisis — especially young people — get help and navigate their struggles before they become an emergency," Read said. "Putting these resources directly on IDs makes them easily accessible to everyone and prevents them from having to track down these resources when they are already struggling.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate among people aged to 24 increased by 62% between 2007 and 2021, the release said.

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