Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Regional Summits on Suicide Prevention

The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia Wounded Warrior Program, Virginia Department of Veterans Services
present 2011 regional summits on:

Suicide Prevention

The summits are open to all community members, especially
:
 Mental Health Professionals (public or private)
 Para-Professionals
 Veterans
 School Personnel First Responders AND Law Enforcement Medical Professionals
 Suicide Survivors/Family Members
 Older Adult Community Members
 Faith Based Community Members
 Organizations focused on Suicide Prevention
 Local Health Districts and Local Departments of Social Services

At each one-day summit, there will be presentations on:
 the most current suicide data from each region;
 suicide prevention education and training resources;
 Virginia Wounded Warrior Program, veteran needs and services available to them;
 a survivor’s experience.

Facilitated discussions will be held on: how suicide is affecting communities;
 community needs in regard to suicide;
 what communities can do to address their needs regarding suicide.

Dates and Locations of Each Summit:
May 10 - Abingdon
May 11 - Roanoke
May 24 - Harrisonburg
May 25 - Fredericksburg
June 1 - Chesterfield
June 6 - Annandale
June 15 - Hampton

On-line registration will open for this statewide training on Monday April 11, 2011. Please look for more details coming to you soon!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Reach out. Check in. Save a life.


Reach Out. Check In. Save a Life. was created in order to promote positive human interaction.

Every day in the United States, there are approximately 95 deaths by suicide, 45 deaths by homicide, countless individuals losing a battle with substance abuse and millions of people suffering from depression. Odds are, if you’re reading this, you or someone you know is affected by one of the above scenarios. We believe simple human interaction can play a large role in reducing these numbers.

Reach Out. Check In. Save a Life. encourages everyone to take some time out of their day to reach out and connect with someone who might be struggling. Make plans to meet up with a friend for lunch or coffee. Smile and say hello to someone at school who seems alone and without a group of friends to hang out with. Go to dinner with a family member. People need to feel connected to others, and to feel that someone notices them and cares. You never know who might be feeling alone and something as simple as a smile or a conversation can go a long way in showing someone that people care.

You’re encouraged to listen to your intuition. If you feel that someone you know (or maybe you don’t know) is having a rough time, reach out. Start a simple conversation. The goal is not to take on that individual’s problems, rather to give a listening ear.

Most of the time, listening is enough help in and of itself. This action can go a long way in making someone feel less isolated and may help reduce the odds of relatively smaller stresses in life turning into large ones. We hope you take some time to browse this website. You’ll find ideas for how to reach out, what warning signs to look for and ways to find resources to be able to help someone in need.

Check it out! www.reachoutcheckin.com

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

SAMHSA's 10x10 Campaign


SAMNOW AVAILABLE: FREE 10x10 Wellness Campaign Brochures and Posters
The 10x10 Wellness Campaign launched its free brochures and posters for clinicians, community organizations, consumers/survivors and peers who want to take action to improve the life expectancy of people with behavioral health challenges by 10 years in the next 10 years.

The new resources include:
1. Top Three Ways to Promote Wellness poster (SMA10-4569)
2. Eight Dimensions of Wellness poster (SMA10-4568)
3. Informational brochure for primary care providers that provides strategies for talking about wellness and connecting with patients’ behavioral health care providers (SMA10-4566)
4. Motivational brochure for consumers/survivors/peers that describes how to incorporate the Eight Dimensions of Wellness into everyday life (SMA10-4567)
5. Informational brochure to raise awareness about the disparity in early mortality for people with behavioral health problems and gain “champions” for the 10x10 Wellness Campaign (SMA10-4565)

These consumer-centered tools establish a shared language for talking about how wellness can support recovery for individuals with behavioral health challenges.
To order or download these free materials, visit http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA10-4566 or call toll free 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (877-726-4727). To learn about the other resources available through the 10x10 Wellness Campaign, SAMHSA and the FDA’s Office of Women’s Health, visit: http://www.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/10by10/resources.aspx and www.fda.gov/womens.