Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Publications available from SPRC for Statewide Conferences

If you are holding a statewide conference in the coming months and would like quantities of any of these publications, please let us know. We currently have enough available that we can provide you with printed copies. We particularly recommend those titles that tie directly to content of your workshop. If you would like copies, please send an email to info@sprc.org with the full shipping information, dates and title of your conference, when the materials need to arrive, and quantities and titles desired. You may request up to 100 of any title. The descriptions below include a url so that you can see the pdf of the document, in case you have any questions about it.

After a suicide: Recommendations for religious services and other public memorial observances
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/aftersuicide.pdf
A guide to help community and faith leaders who plan memorial observances and provide support for individuals after the loss of a loved one to suicide.

Ask & you will receive: A fundraising guide for suicide prevention advocates Created by SPAN USA for SPRC
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/span_fundraising.pdf
A 14-page document that presents new ways to think about generating support for your program. Links to other resources are embedded throughout the document so that you can easily find the most relevant materials. This guide will help you think through your approach, select a strategy, and get started on a fundraising campaign.

Guide to engaging the media in suicide prevention Created by SPAN USA
for SPRC
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/media_guide.pdf
This 44-page guide teaches you how to serve as an effective media spokesperson and how to generate media coverage to create awareness of suicide prevention. The publication describes how to use television, radio, and print media and provides examples of press releases, media advisories, pitch letters, op-eds and more. It also gives tips for identifying appropriate media outlets, creating up-to-date media lists, and tracking your results.

NVDRS and suicide: How the National Violent Death Reporting System is being used to prevent suicide Created by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center for SPRC
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/UsingNVDRS_FactSheet.pdf
This fact sheet highlight ways in which National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) data have been used for suicide prevention.

Promoting mental health and preventing suicide in college and university settings (College White Paper)
URL: http://www.sprc.org/library/college_sp_whitepaper.pdf
This white paper summarizes what is known about suicidal behavior among college students and recommends strategies to promote mental health and prevent suicide on campuses. The writing reflects the views of experts in the field of suicide prevention and proposes a blueprint for planning a comprehensive program.
...From Anara Guard, SPRC

Monday, August 11, 2008

Make it Matter Grants

Make it Matter Grants
This funding program recognizes the power of the individual to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Every month the foundation will select an individual's story of good work, which will be featured in Reader's Digest magazine. Considering the subject of the selected story, the foundation will select an appropriate nonprofit organization and grant $100,000 to that nonprofit in honor of the person featured in the story.

...from SPRC: The Weekly Spark

3 Federal Agencies Call for Mental Health Services

Three federal agencies call for more mental health services in primary care
http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0807233954.aspxSAMHSA, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued the report "Reimbursement of Mental Health Services in Primary Care". Mental health service consumers, practitioners, providers, researchers and government officials identified seven barriers and made suggestions for action to address barriers to the reimbursement of mental health services in the primary care setting. The full report is available online at http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/ken/pdf/SMA08-4324/SMA08-4324.pdf. Additional information about billing for mental health services is available at http://hipaa.samhsa.gov/hipaacodes2.htm.
...from SPRC: The Weekly Spark

Campus Suicide Prevention Grants

SAMHSA accepting applications for Campus Suicide Prevention Grants
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year 2009 for Campus Suicide Prevention Grants. This program is designed to facilitate a comprehensive approach to prevent suicides and suicide attempts in colleges and universities and to enhance services for students with mental and behavioral health problems, such as depression and substance abuse, which can put them at risk for suicidal behavior. Applications are due November 25. For more information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/2009/sm_09_001.aspx.
...from APRC: The Weekly Spark

Monday, August 4, 2008

Webconference: Understanding and Preventing Suicide

Please join the Missouri Institute of Mental Health on Thursday, August
7 at 1:30 PM CDT (2:30 Eastern; 11:30 AM Pacific) for a free presentation with Elizabeth Makulec titled "Understanding and Preventing Suicide". This program may be viewed at www.MIMHTraining.com/webconferences .

This presentation will include a special 28 minute video presentation, "Understanding and Preventing Suicide", produced by The Glendon Association's Violence and Suicide Prevention Alliance. This powerful new film highlights the lives of three individuals, Kevin, Susan and Trish, who made serious suicide attempts and lived.

The video presentation will be followed by additional suicide prevention information and resources presented by Elizabeth Makulec, a certified facilitator of QPR and a LivingWorks certified trainer for both the ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Training) and safeTALK (Suicide Alertness for Everyone) community education programs. Ms. Makulec serves on the Missouri Governor's Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee and is Project Coordinator for the Gateway Youth Suicide Prevention Resources Partnership, a multi-agency suicide prevention and education collaboration.
CEUs will be available for those interested. As of July 1, CEUs are only $10 per person.

If this will be your first time joining one of these presentations, you are encouraged to view a test video at your convenience. This may be seen at www.MIMHTraining.com/webconferences/category/testing-video/ .

Questions should be directed, not to SPRC, but to the web conference
organizers:
Virginia Weil, MSW
Project Manager
Missouri Institute of Mental Health
5400 Arsenal Street
St. Louis, MO 63139
Phone: 314-877-6479
Fax: 314-877-6477

...from the SPRC

Thursday, July 31, 2008

VA gets 55,000 plus Suicide Calls

VA gets 55,000 plus suicide calls [CBS News]
During its first year in operation, the Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), has received calls from more than 55,000 people, including approximately 22,000 people who identified themselves as veterans. This article discusses the statistics gathered about hotline usage and highlights other steps the Department of Veterans Affairs is taking to reduce the suicide rate among veterans.
...from SPRC: The Weekly Spark

Thursday, July 24, 2008

VA Tests Public Service Announcements

The Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a three-month pilot program of a suicide prevention public service campaign in the Washington, DC area. The campaign, which will include bus and train advertisements and a television public service announcement, aims to increase awareness of suicide prevention and of the VA’s 24-hour suicide prevention hotline, 1-800-273-TALK.

...from SPRC: The Weekly Spark