(Boston–3/12/2024) On Monday, March 4th, 2024, Senator Paul Feeney received the 2024 Leadership in Suicide Prevention Award from the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention during an awards ceremony in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House. This annual award presentation acknowledges individuals and organizations for their outstanding leadership and contributions in preventing self-injury and suicide in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  

“I am honored to receive the Leadership in Suicide Prevention Award and feel humbled to be included among so many impactful champions of suicide prevention in Massachusetts. As a Commonwealth, I believe we can and should be doing more prevent instances and means of suicide and offer a helping hand to those dealing with unimaginable pain and despair. I'm fortunate to serve with so many legislative champions of suicide prevention, especially Senate President Karen E. Spilka, who is always pushing us to be bold when it comes to mental health and crisis intervention. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues, coalition members, prevention organizations, suicide survivors and impacted families to support all those in need of hope, and making sure we do so before more lives are lost. Sometimes, the simple reminder of “you are not alone” can make a lifetime of a difference,” said Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough).  

Senator Feeney is one of seven recipients of this award in 2024 and joins Massachusetts Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano as this year’s legislative award recipients. This award was also presented to: Sylvia Temple, Telecheck program volunteer for Call2Talk; Jennie Babcock, Plymouth County Suicide Prevention Coalition; Heidi Lee, MCSP Alliance for Equity member; Karen Carreira, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Brian Berkel, President of the Berkshire Fatherhood Coalition. This year marks the 23rd annual Leadership in Suicide Prevention Awards Ceremony. 

The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention is a broad-based inclusive alliance of suicide prevention advocates, including public and private agency representatives, policy makers, suicide loss and attempt survivors, mental health and public health consumers and providers and concerned citizens who are dedicated to working together to reduce the incidence of suicide and self-harm across the Commonwealth. From its inception, the MCSP has been a public/private partnership between government agencies such as the Department of Public Health and the Department of Mental Health, community-based agencies and individuals.  

S.970, “An Act relative to suicide prevention signage at certain facilities” 

Senator Feeney is the lead sponsor of legislation he filed this session titled S.970, An Act relative to suicide prevention signage at certain facilities. S.970 was filed to implement safety upgrades to address the disturbing trend in suicide deaths at parking garages across the Commonwealth. The bill requires parking garages and public transportation facilities to place signs with information on suicide prevention, including the 988 behavioral health emergency line and the words “You Are Not Alone” in garages over 3 stories high. 

The bill also directs the Department of Public Health to make the suicide prevention signage, as well as design recommendations for barriers and features to prevent means of suicide at mass transportation facilities, railways and crossings, available on its website for viewing and download by the public. DPH, in consultation with the Division on Violence and Injury Prevention and the MBTA, would be directed to conduct a study of mass transportation facilities, inclusive of railways and crossings, that are potential means of suicide or locations where a suicide has occurred in the last 10 years. This data collection provision will help paint a more complete picture of instances of suicide in the Commonwealth to better respond to those individuals torn apart by such pain that they revert to such painful lengths. 

Senator Feeney was moved to file this legislation following a series of tragedies at the Renaissance Parking Garage in Boston where three separate accidents resulted in 5 deaths over just a seven-month period. The Renaissance Garage has since taken steps to implement a number of the suicide prevention provisions outlined in the bill, such as placing suicide prevention signage throughout the garage.  

S.970 has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery and was heard during a public hearing on December 2, 2023.   

Senator Feeney currently serves as Chair of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, Vice-Chair, Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, and as a Member of Ways & Means, Health Care Financing, Labor and Workforce Development, and Senate Committee on Personnel and Administration. 

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