AFSP is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. White House Changes Condolence Letter Policy

On July 5, the White House reversed its longstanding policy of not sending condolence letters to the families of service members who die by suicide while deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones.



AFSP would like to commend President Obama on his decision. Over the past two years, AFSP has worked relentlessly towards reversing the condolence letter policy by sending a letter to the president, working with Congress on a House resolution and supporting a bipartisan letter from 11 senators to the White House.



In addition, AFSP mobilized tens of thousands of advocates and supporters across the country, collecting signatures on a petition sent to the White House, delivering this message in person during visits to Capitol Hill, and through a social media campaign this past Memorial Day encouraging advocates to contact the White House and urge the president to end this insensitive and hurtful policy.



“Reversing this policy has been a top priority,” said John Madigan, AFSP’s senior director of public policy. “As the leading national organization dedicated to preventing suicide and reducing stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness, we applaud the president for taking a courageous stand and sending a strong message that America will not tolerate a culture in our Armed Forces that discriminates against those with a mental illness or furthers stigma.”



AFSP would like to thank all of its advocates and supporters, including On July 5, the White House reversed its longstanding policy of not sending condolence letters to the families of service members who die by suicide while deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones.AFSP would like to commend President Obama on his decision. Over the past two years, AFSP has worked relentlessly towards reversing the condolence letter policy by sending a letter to the president, working with Congress on a House resolution and supporting a bipartisan letter from 11 senators to the White House.In addition, AFSP mobilized tens of thousands of advocates and supporters across the country, collecting signatures on a petition sent to the White House, delivering this message in person during visits to Capitol Hill, and through a social media campaign this past Memorial Day encouraging advocates to contact the White House and urge the president to end this insensitive and hurtful policy.“Reversing this policy has been a top priority,” said John Madigan, AFSP’s senior director of public policy. “As the leading national organization dedicated to preventing suicide and reducing stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness, we applaud the president for taking a courageous stand and sending a strong message that America will not tolerate a culture in our Armed Forces that discriminates against those with a mental illness or furthers stigma.”AFSP would like to thank all of its advocates and supporters, including Gregg and Jannett Keesling , whose son, Chance, died by suicide in Iraq, for helping to reverse this policy. Gregg served as a panelist in last year's International Survivors of Suicide Day, and was recently featured on "CBS Evening News" and in the New York Times . Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who was honored by AFSP in March for his suicide prevention work within the military, is also quoted in a New York Times article regarding this policy change.

