[Crisis] Over the course of the decade studied, the rate of emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. that were related to suicide attempts virtually doubled. The observed increases were concentrated in metropolitan areas, among non-Hispanic whites, in individuals under 15 years of age or between the ages of 50 and 69. Emergency departments are under-recognized for their importance as sites for suicide prevention. [Read more]
...from SPRC, Weekly SPARK
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
SPRC: GLBT Youth Research
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has released Suicide risk and prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Written by SPRC staff and reviewed by experts in sexual and gender minority issues, suicide, and suicide prevention, and by youth, this publication addresses the special concerns related to suicide prevention among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Research conducted by experts in mental health, suicide prevention, and other fields shows that a higher proportion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth consider and attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers. Based on the higher rate of suicide attempts among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth and the relative seriousness of these attempts, the authors of this report postulate that it is likely these youth experience higher rates of suicide deaths than non-LGB youth. Less research about transgender youth is available, but these youth generally share risk factors associated with suicidal behavior (such as victimization, depression and substance abuse) with their LGB peers.
Suicide risk and prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth draws on research from the past ten years to summarize the current state of knowledge about suicidality in LGBT youth, and outlines twenty-one recommendations for helping to reduce suicidal behavior in this group. These recommendations are appropriate for agencies, organizations, and individuals such as school staff, health and social service providers, suicide prevention programs, and researchers, as well as funders and organizations serving LGBT youth. Recommendations are in the following areas:
• lowering risk specific to or disparately affecting LGBT youth
• improving provider recognition of youth at risk
• increasing outreach and access to services
• increasing coping and protective factors among these youth
The paper, coauthored by Effie Malley, Marc Posner, and Lloyd Potter, includes a resource appendix and an extensive bibliography. The paper may be downloaded from the SPRC site at http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf
SPRC provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist states, tribal nations, organizations, and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions, and policies. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), SPRC is operated by the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), in Newton, Massachusetts.
Suicide risk and prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth draws on research from the past ten years to summarize the current state of knowledge about suicidality in LGBT youth, and outlines twenty-one recommendations for helping to reduce suicidal behavior in this group. These recommendations are appropriate for agencies, organizations, and individuals such as school staff, health and social service providers, suicide prevention programs, and researchers, as well as funders and organizations serving LGBT youth. Recommendations are in the following areas:
• lowering risk specific to or disparately affecting LGBT youth
• improving provider recognition of youth at risk
• increasing outreach and access to services
• increasing coping and protective factors among these youth
The paper, coauthored by Effie Malley, Marc Posner, and Lloyd Potter, includes a resource appendix and an extensive bibliography. The paper may be downloaded from the SPRC site at http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf
SPRC provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist states, tribal nations, organizations, and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions, and policies. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), SPRC is operated by the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), in Newton, Massachusetts.
10th Annual SOS Webcast Available
On Saturday, November 22, 2008 survivors of suicide loss joined together from over 175 locations in the U.S. and abroad for support, healing, information and empowerment. The day of conferences connected survivors through a 90-minute program, viewed simultaneously around the world by webcast, satellite and DVD from 1-2:30pm EST. This broadcast is now available on the AFSP website so survivors can watch it free of charge, on their own computers, anytime. Click here to watch now. (You'll be asked to fill out a short registration form first, then the direct webcast link will pop up on your screen.) Starting in January, you may also purchase a DVD version for $19.95 by visiting the AFSP Store.
Save the date for AFSP's 11th National Survivors of Suicide Day
Saturday, November 21, 2009
...from SPAN USA email
Save the date for AFSP's 11th National Survivors of Suicide Day
Saturday, November 21, 2009
...from SPAN USA email
Action Alert for our friends in Georgia: SPAN GA
Survivors of Suicide and the Suicide Prevention Community
We are in need of your assistance quickly!!!
On January 14th, 2009, the Governor released his 2009 Fiscal Year final recommendations as well as the 2010 Budget Recommendations. These recommendations included discontinuing all suicide prevention activities and removed ALL funding for FY2010 and all funds not currently encumbered for FY2009. Basically, our Suicide Prevention Program put in place in 2006 by HB 1092 was not just given cuts as other programs were, but eliminated. We will lose our funding to retain a Suicide Prevention Coordinator, our Epidemiologist and all related activities will cease. This is years worth of work to get this program and funding in place- lost, bringing us back to starting over. All of our suicide prevention work so far was begun and sustained by bringing the grassroots voice of the people and our communities, to the government. And it is important that our voices are heard from every county in Georgia.
So far, these cuts are all recommendations, so there is time…YOU CAN HELP!! We are asking that you CALL AND WRITE your state Senator, Representative and Governor Perdue, and ask them to support the restoration of funding for the Suicide Prevention Program.
This is an action that needs to be taken NOW, this week and next. The legislature will be making this final determination soon.
I want to remind each of you that this grassroots movement is the basis for which our nation was founded. We are constituents in our Senators, Representatives and Governors communities. We have the first amendment right to write and call and ask for our leaders to support our needs. They are people just like we are. When enough of us ask the same request, the request itself is taken to a much more powerful level. Help us to let the voice of survivors and the suicide prevention community be heard!
FOR A PHONE CALL:
Don’t be shy, and when you call, ask for your legislator. It is best to speak directly to your legislator, so try to achieve that. But if it is not possible, leave a detailed message for them. They do keep track of these calls and the subject of the calls, so be sure to leave the message that you would like to speak with your legislator about restoring the funding to the Suicide Prevention Program. Be polite and be positive!
Read the Facts Sheet about the program as well as the sample letter and know what you would like to say. Use the talking points as your guide.
FOR A LETTER:
For a letter, you need to get it off quickly. A personal letter is the best choice. We have included a sample letter. Feel free to create a letter completely of your own or using this sample as a guideline for your talking points within the letter, or use the sample text for your own letter. Sign it personally. Again, be polite and positive!
TALKING POINTS
• Disappointed at the cuts to the Suicide Prevention Program
• Relate your personal story. (short and succinct)
• The economic crisis and unemployment contribute to depression and suicide risk. In this economic time it is more imperative that the funding is in place to support these needs.
• Suicide is preventable.
• With a small amount of funding, the Suicide Prevention Program has done an incredible amount of population based work that has positively impacted our communities statewide and we support the continuation of this work. (see program facts sheet)
• Ask your legislator to support the restoration of all funding for the Suicide Prevention Program.
As we need voices from all over the state, please forward this to any and all of your friends, family and colleagues in Georgia! Start your own email tree…send it on to everyone that you can and ask them to respond quickly.
I have attached the fact sheet that will be provided to the legislators as well as a sample letter. Please review them.
TO FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR:
If you do not know who your Senator or Representatives or need to find their exact mailing address and phone, you can go to this link and put in your zip code and it will take you to a list of the legislators for your address.
http://capwiz.com/spanusa/state/main/?state=GA&view=myofficials
Then if you click on the legislator’s name, it will take you to more information. (If the link doesn’t open, just copy and paste into your browser.) When you are directed to your Legislator, there will be tabs over the picture and one will say contact. Click on it and it will give you their mailing address and phone numbers.
Please use the Atlanta address and phone at the Capitol because the legislature is in session.
After you call and/or mail a letter, contact us to let us know what happened with your contact. It is an important part of advocacy to keep track of contacts and coverage. We would like to be able to know how many Senators and Representatives that we reached and how many calls and letters they received. Then as we make our personal appointments to meet with them, we are able to better represent you in every community in Georgia. Feel free to call or email just to give a brief update on what action you were able to take and what happened.
So my contact information is:
Sheri McGuinness
SPAN-GA
spangeorgia@aol.com
770-517-6405 Home Office
770-354-7616 Cell
We are in need of your assistance quickly!!!
On January 14th, 2009, the Governor released his 2009 Fiscal Year final recommendations as well as the 2010 Budget Recommendations. These recommendations included discontinuing all suicide prevention activities and removed ALL funding for FY2010 and all funds not currently encumbered for FY2009. Basically, our Suicide Prevention Program put in place in 2006 by HB 1092 was not just given cuts as other programs were, but eliminated. We will lose our funding to retain a Suicide Prevention Coordinator, our Epidemiologist and all related activities will cease. This is years worth of work to get this program and funding in place- lost, bringing us back to starting over. All of our suicide prevention work so far was begun and sustained by bringing the grassroots voice of the people and our communities, to the government. And it is important that our voices are heard from every county in Georgia.
So far, these cuts are all recommendations, so there is time…YOU CAN HELP!! We are asking that you CALL AND WRITE your state Senator, Representative and Governor Perdue, and ask them to support the restoration of funding for the Suicide Prevention Program.
This is an action that needs to be taken NOW, this week and next. The legislature will be making this final determination soon.
I want to remind each of you that this grassroots movement is the basis for which our nation was founded. We are constituents in our Senators, Representatives and Governors communities. We have the first amendment right to write and call and ask for our leaders to support our needs. They are people just like we are. When enough of us ask the same request, the request itself is taken to a much more powerful level. Help us to let the voice of survivors and the suicide prevention community be heard!
FOR A PHONE CALL:
Don’t be shy, and when you call, ask for your legislator. It is best to speak directly to your legislator, so try to achieve that. But if it is not possible, leave a detailed message for them. They do keep track of these calls and the subject of the calls, so be sure to leave the message that you would like to speak with your legislator about restoring the funding to the Suicide Prevention Program. Be polite and be positive!
Read the Facts Sheet about the program as well as the sample letter and know what you would like to say. Use the talking points as your guide.
FOR A LETTER:
For a letter, you need to get it off quickly. A personal letter is the best choice. We have included a sample letter. Feel free to create a letter completely of your own or using this sample as a guideline for your talking points within the letter, or use the sample text for your own letter. Sign it personally. Again, be polite and positive!
TALKING POINTS
• Disappointed at the cuts to the Suicide Prevention Program
• Relate your personal story. (short and succinct)
• The economic crisis and unemployment contribute to depression and suicide risk. In this economic time it is more imperative that the funding is in place to support these needs.
• Suicide is preventable.
• With a small amount of funding, the Suicide Prevention Program has done an incredible amount of population based work that has positively impacted our communities statewide and we support the continuation of this work. (see program facts sheet)
• Ask your legislator to support the restoration of all funding for the Suicide Prevention Program.
As we need voices from all over the state, please forward this to any and all of your friends, family and colleagues in Georgia! Start your own email tree…send it on to everyone that you can and ask them to respond quickly.
I have attached the fact sheet that will be provided to the legislators as well as a sample letter. Please review them.
TO FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR:
If you do not know who your Senator or Representatives or need to find their exact mailing address and phone, you can go to this link and put in your zip code and it will take you to a list of the legislators for your address.
http://capwiz.com/spanusa/state/main/?state=GA&view=myofficials
Then if you click on the legislator’s name, it will take you to more information. (If the link doesn’t open, just copy and paste into your browser.) When you are directed to your Legislator, there will be tabs over the picture and one will say contact. Click on it and it will give you their mailing address and phone numbers.
Please use the Atlanta address and phone at the Capitol because the legislature is in session.
After you call and/or mail a letter, contact us to let us know what happened with your contact. It is an important part of advocacy to keep track of contacts and coverage. We would like to be able to know how many Senators and Representatives that we reached and how many calls and letters they received. Then as we make our personal appointments to meet with them, we are able to better represent you in every community in Georgia. Feel free to call or email just to give a brief update on what action you were able to take and what happened.
So my contact information is:
Sheri McGuinness
SPAN-GA
spangeorgia@aol.com
770-517-6405 Home Office
770-354-7616 Cell
Monday, December 15, 2008
Survivors Day Conference Webcast
On Saturday, November 22, 2008 survivors of suicide loss joined together from over 175 locations in the U.S. and abroad for support, healing, information and empowerment. The day of conferences connected survivors through a 90-minute program, viewed simultaneously around the world by webcast, satellite and DVD from 1-2:30pm EST. This broadcast is now available on the AFSP website so survivors can watch it free of charge, on their own computers, anytime. Click here to watch now. (You'll be asked to fill out a short registration form first, then the direct webcast link will pop up on your screen.) Starting in January, you may also purchase a DVD version for $19.95 by visiting the AFSP Store.
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Million Calls
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network has answered its one millionth call since the hotline was launched on Jan. 1, 2005.
“The Lifeline reached this significant milestone because more people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis are becoming aware that help is available just by picking up the telephone and dialing 1-800-273-TALK,” said the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s acting administrator, Eric Broderick, D.D.S, M.P.H.
Using state-of-the-art technology and a network of 133 local crisis centers across the country, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) can immediately link a caller seeking help to a trained counselor closest to the caller’s location, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls to the toll-free Lifeline are confidential.
“People who feel hopeless, who don’t see a way out of their problems and their pain, need to know that there is somewhere they can turn for support and assistance. You are not alone,” Dr. Broderick said.
SAMHSA, which established the Lifeline in 2005 with a grant to Link2Health Solutions, Inc., has been working with organizations such as the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center to focus public attention on the nationwide impact of suicide and to highlight ways to prevent it. In 2005, suicides accounted for 32,637 deaths in the United States. The suicide estimate is for the latest year for which data is available. The total is almost twice the number of homicides.
Within the past 15 months, the Lifeline has become linked with the Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline - a partnership between SAMHSA and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Hotline provides national, around-the-clock access to crisis counseling for veterans and their families. Veterans seeking help or concerned family members can call 800-273-TALK (8255) and press “1” to be connected to a specialized call center run by the Department of Veterans Affairs and staffed by mental health professionals.
Currently, calls to the Lifeline average 47,500 per month, with more than 1,580 people calling daily.
...from SAMHSA website
“The Lifeline reached this significant milestone because more people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis are becoming aware that help is available just by picking up the telephone and dialing 1-800-273-TALK,” said the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s acting administrator, Eric Broderick, D.D.S, M.P.H.
Using state-of-the-art technology and a network of 133 local crisis centers across the country, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) can immediately link a caller seeking help to a trained counselor closest to the caller’s location, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls to the toll-free Lifeline are confidential.
“People who feel hopeless, who don’t see a way out of their problems and their pain, need to know that there is somewhere they can turn for support and assistance. You are not alone,” Dr. Broderick said.
SAMHSA, which established the Lifeline in 2005 with a grant to Link2Health Solutions, Inc., has been working with organizations such as the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center to focus public attention on the nationwide impact of suicide and to highlight ways to prevent it. In 2005, suicides accounted for 32,637 deaths in the United States. The suicide estimate is for the latest year for which data is available. The total is almost twice the number of homicides.
Within the past 15 months, the Lifeline has become linked with the Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline - a partnership between SAMHSA and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Hotline provides national, around-the-clock access to crisis counseling for veterans and their families. Veterans seeking help or concerned family members can call 800-273-TALK (8255) and press “1” to be connected to a specialized call center run by the Department of Veterans Affairs and staffed by mental health professionals.
Currently, calls to the Lifeline average 47,500 per month, with more than 1,580 people calling daily.
...from SAMHSA website
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
10th Annual National Survivors of Suicide Day
Saturday, November 22, 2008
A Day of Healing For Survivors of Suicide Loss
This Saturday, join with other survivors of suicide loss at a local site near you or register to watch the 90-minute program from your home computer from 1-2:30pm Eastern Time and take part in a free online chat immediately afterwards.
The program includes a blend of emotional support and information about resources for healing for survivors of suicide loss. Survivors and mental health professionals discuss their experiences and answer the questions that so many survivors face: Why did this happen? How do I cope?
To find a conference site nearest you, or to register to watch the webcast from home, visit www.afsp.org/survivorday. When you register to watch from home, you are automatically registered for the online chat afterwards.
...from Joanne Harpel, AFSP
A Day of Healing For Survivors of Suicide Loss
This Saturday, join with other survivors of suicide loss at a local site near you or register to watch the 90-minute program from your home computer from 1-2:30pm Eastern Time and take part in a free online chat immediately afterwards.
The program includes a blend of emotional support and information about resources for healing for survivors of suicide loss. Survivors and mental health professionals discuss their experiences and answer the questions that so many survivors face: Why did this happen? How do I cope?
To find a conference site nearest you, or to register to watch the webcast from home, visit www.afsp.org/survivorday. When you register to watch from home, you are automatically registered for the online chat afterwards.
...from Joanne Harpel, AFSP
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