The scene in Gov. Christine Gregoire’s office was somber. On Thursday, March 29, a group had assembled to see Gregoire sign into law House Bill 2366 — a bill requiring health professionals to undergo mandatory suicide prevention education.

“We had a very emotional bill signing,” says Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, who sponsored the bill.

Orwall stood with University of Washington socialwork professor Jennifer Stuber and her two children as Gregoire signed the bill into law. Seeing this happen, for Stuber, was bittersweet. She proposed the legislation to Orwall after her husband, Matt, completed suicide last year.

“The governor was crying. I was crying. Jenn was crying,” Orwall says.

Orwall, who worked for 20 years in the mental-health field, told The Inlander in March that suicide-prevention issues became a passion for her after hearing that “half the people who completed suicide had seen a primary care doctor in the last 30 days. … People do often reach out for help, but are [doctors] asking the right questions?” Her bill passed the Senate and House with 100-percent support. Orwall says she thinks it also opens the door to looking a little closer at what training — overall — clinicians are receiving.

“I think it’s to look at how we increase the skill level of primary care providers in this area. I know training is one step,” Orwall says. “I think there will also be a very important review of all the institutions and what training professionals are currently getting.” (Leah Sottile)