Pellerin Marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month with Call for Youth Mental Health Support

Sacramento, CA - Silence is dangerous, and speaking openly about suicide saves lives. Ahead of presenting HR 126 on the Assembly Floor Monday, proclaiming September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month for the fourth consecutive year since joining the California Legislature, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) held a press conference with fellow legislators and mental health advocates to spotlight youth mental health.

Dr. Shashank Joshi, a professor and Senior Associate Vice Provost for Academic Wellbeing at Stanford University, where he serves as Director of School Mental Health, shared how his son's 13-year-old friend once helped save his son's life by telling a trusted adult when she noticed he was struggling. "My son's alive because a 13-year-old girl chose courage over silence, and because a school knew how to respond when she did," Joshi said. "This is what we mean when we say suicide is preventable. It's not a slogan. It's a fact proven by a 13-year-old girl who knew what to do because someone had taught her. And that's the work in front of us."

Pellerin, a survivor of suicide loss, has been a passionate advocate for prevention awareness since her husband, Tom, died by suicide in 2018. This year, ahead of the presentation, she invited Assemblymembers and advocates to speak on their work to support youth mental health, as suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15-34. "Adolescence has always been hard. But today's young people are navigating those years in a world previous generations never experienced: social media, constant comparison, cyberbullying, isolation, and enormous pressure to measure up," Pellerin said.

Assemblymember Pellerin was joined at the press conference by Assemblymembers Dr. Corey Jackson, Josh Lowenthal, and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, as well as Lauren Pulido of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Alan Lai of the Trevor Project, and Dr. Joshi.

"When we speak openly about suicide, we help reduce the shame and stigma that too often prevent young people from seeking the life-saving care they need. Resolutions like HR 126 signal to our young people that even in their darkest moments, they are never alone," said Trevor Project representative Alan Lai. His message echoed a decade of legislative work: Assembly Democrats have passed a multitude of bills and budget decisions to expand behavioral health services and continue to advance initiatives aimed at preventing life-threatening mental health conditions.

Among the legislation is Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan's AB 988 (2021), which established California's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to connect people in mental distress with trained mental health professionals. Earlier this year, the law's implementation was selected for an Outcomes Review as part of Speaker Robert Rivas's first-of-its-kind oversight initiative. While praising the Legislature and Governor Newsom's efforts to support youth mental health, Bauer-Kahan stated, "The work has only just begun. The data tells us we have more work to do, more lives to save, and more purpose to give people." Building on that work, Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal authored AB 1709 (2026), which aims to protect children from addictive social media algorithms.

Assemblymember Pellerin serves as Chair of the Select Committee on California's Mental Health Crisis and has introduced legislation each year to strengthen the state's behavioral health services and promote suicide prevention awareness. Her 2026 bill AB 1988 moved through the Assembly with bipartisan support. The bill sought to require generative AI chatbots to pause when a user indicates serious thoughts of suicide and encourage the user to seek help from a real person or contact the 988 Crisis Lifeline. Unfortunately, the bill died in the Senate.

Joshi cautioned that legislation is only part of the answer. "Policy alone doesn't save a life in the hallway. People do. That's why the strategies we choose have to be evidence-based, and why we have to get them into the hands of everyday adults and kids, not just clinicians," he said.

Following the press conference, Pellerin introduced HR 126 on the Assembly Floor, encouraging all to play a role in preventing suicide by talking openly about mental health, learning warning signs, and promoting 988. "And when someone is struggling, don't look away. Ask the hard question: 'Are you thinking about suicide?' Then listen," Pellerin said.

Multiple members rose to share their own personal losses to suicide before the resolution was adopted, proclaiming September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in California once again.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Assemblymember Gail Pellerinrepresents California's 28th Assembly District including Santa Cruz County and parts of Santa Clara County. She chairs the Assembly Elections Committee and the Select Committee on California's Mental Health Crisis. Courtesy photos can be foundHERE.

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