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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s Republican senator has joined a push to help families of public safety #officers who have suffered #mentalhealthchallenges or died by #suicide.

Sen. Susan Collins is part of a bipartisan group of senators that is working to help families receive public safety officers’ benefits. Those benefits are currently limited to physical injuries.

The program could be altered to provide financial support to families of #firefighters, #policeofficers and emergency medical technicians who die in the line of duty or are disabled, Collins said.

She said the bill she is supporting would “provide support for officers suffering from work-related #PTSD, as well as provide grieving families with the resources and support they need.”

The bill would designate work-related #posttraumaticstressdisorder and acute #stressdisorder as a line-of-duty injury.

It would also allow families of officers who die by trauma-linked #suicide to apply for death benefits, Collins said.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

http://www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

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