National Empowerment Center - Alternatives to Suicide Webinar - April 24, 1-3 pm EST

Join us for a Webinar on April 24

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/144758694

Alternatives to Suicide peer support groups exist because the opportunity to talk about feelings of hopelessness to empathic ears can decrease the inclination to act on suicidal feelings. The Western Mass Recovery Learning Community (WMRLC) has started peer support groups of this kind. Alternatives to Suicide peer support groups provide a forum wherein people who feel or have felt suicidal can talk about their experiences without being judged. People in these groups share their struggles and successes, provide support for one another, and strategize about alternatives to help each other best cope with difficult life circumstances. People are encouraged to come in both times of strength or in challenging times. This webinar will discuss the need for and development of peer-run support groups for people struggling with suicidal feelings and thoughts.  Presenters:  Sean Donovan: as a part of the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community, Sean draws upon years of struggle with emotional distress and agonizing yearnings for suicide to put this once "lost time" to work in connecting with other folks.  Through his roles in the WMRLC's Holyoke center and as a co-facilitator for Alternatives to Suicide groups he has learned many things about the lives and struggles of others and knowledge about how to persist in thoughtfully living his own life.  Janice Sorensen has been doing suicide prevention literally since the age of eight, while dealing with her mother's numerous attempts and later on, in learning to navigating her own ideation.  Thus, she understands the despondency that precedes a suicide attempt as well as what it is like to be the child of someone feeling that level of despair.  She conducts Alternatives to Suicide Peer Support Groups for the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community and is grateful to be able to bring this knowledge to her work. Title: Alternatives to Suicide: Lessons from the Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. This webinar will be recorded and shared at www.power2u.org (recording available shortly after April 24).  System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Mac®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer Mobile attendees Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

NH DHHS - NH Highlighted in National Suicide Prevention Strategy at Conference

This Year’s Theme: Reflect, Refresh, Renew


Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

(DHHS) in collaboration with the State Suicide Prevention Council, the

Youth Suicide Prevention Assembly, and the National Alliance on Mental

Illness (NAMI)-NH Chapter held the 8th Annual Suicide Prevention

Conference. This year’s conference theme is Reflect, Refresh, Renew.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Jerry Reed, Director of the Suicide Prevention

Resource Center at the Education Development Center, spoke about how

prevention programs and strategies in New Hampshire fit with the newly

released, 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.



“Everyone has a part in helping to prevent suicides, which is the second

leading cause of death among youth and young adults in this State up to the

age of 24 and the fourth leading cause of death for adults ages 25–54,”

said Dr. José Montero, Director of the Division of Public Health Services

at DHHS. “It is gratifying that New Hampshire is being recognized for the

good work we are doing around this very painful topic, but there is still

more to be done.”



“Many of our own homegrown programs, such as CONNECT and the project with

the New Hampshire Firearm Safety Coalition, are looked at as Best Practices

in the National Strategy,” said Erik Riera, Administrator for the Bureau of

Behavioral Health at DHHS. “The National Strategy also highlights the need

to provide targeted prevention strategies for different segments of the

population.”



As a follow-up, morning breakouts at the conference offered three

scenarios, one case each for an adolescent, a postpartum woman, and a

member of the military. Best practices for prevention and postvention were

also discussed.



The Conference was for anyone interested in suicide prevention from

survivors of suicide loss to professionals working in the field. Other

topics addressed during the day included a session on ethics, suicide

prevention in older adults, and strategies for community healing after a

suicide has occurred.



Warning signs for suicide include:

Talking about death or suicide

Hopelessness

Anger

Increasing alcohol or drug use

Isolation



If you are worried about someone or are suicidal yourself, please call

1-800-273-TALK, a 24/7 crisis line. Help is available.



For more information on suicide prevention, visit the Suicide Prevention

Resource Center at www.sprc.org  or the National Alliance for Mentally Ill

New Hampshire at www.naminh.org/education/suicide-prevention  or the DHHS

Bureau of Behavioral Health at www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcbcs/bbh/contact.htm

NH DHHS - What’s In Your Medicine Cabinet, A Prescription For Danger?

NH Suicide Prevention Council: The Integration of Drug and Suicide

Prevention Efforts



Concord, NH – Suicide continues to be a very serious issue in New

Hampshire; it is the second leading cause of death in youth and young

adults ages 15 – 34, and the fourth leading cause of death from ages 35 –

54. Of growing concern is the number of suicides attributed to poisonings,

in particular prescription and over the counter drugs. New Hampshire’s

Suicide Prevention Council is working with its suicide prevention partners

and drug and alcohol prevention partners to help reduce these drug related

deaths and on Monday will announce these efforts.



This is a unique opportunity to hear about the crucial role health care

providers have in assessing access to lethal means, in this case what may

be in your medicine cabinet and how the new prescription drug- monitoring

program will help in this effort. Also, hear from someone who struggled

with substance abuse and attempted suicide as a result; and his success now

in recovery.



Speakers for this event include:

Dr. Thomas Andrew, NH Chief Medical Examiner

Dr. Karene Simone, Northern New England Poison Center

Linda Paquette, New Futures

Dr. Jeffrey Fetter, Concord Hospital and President of New Hampshire

Psychiatric Society

David E. Chmielecki, Attempt Survivor



DATE September 10, 2012

9:00 AM



EVENT Suicide Prevention Council Integrates Drug and Suicide Prevention Efforts


LOCATION Legislative Office Building

Lobby

Concord, NH

NH DOC - Statement Inmate Death Was From Suicide

An autopsy was completed on inmate Joseph John Sawtell who was found dead in the NH State Prison on Monday March 5, 2012.  The New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s office has determined the cause of death was hanging.  The manner of death was suicide.

NH DHHS Announces Suicide Prevention Conference

Concord – The New Hampshire State Suicide Prevention Council, along with

the National Alliance on Mental Illness-NH Chapter, and the NH Youth

Suicide Prevention Assembly announces the 8th Annual New Hampshire Suicide

Prevention Conference Healing, Hope, and Health. The keynote speaker will

feature Thomas Joiner, PhD, who will be sharing his expertise on why people

die by suicide. Dr. Joiner is a clinical psychologist and has authored or

edited 15 books, including Why People Die by Suicide and Myths About

Suicide. Dr. Joiner will explore the myths about suicide and why they

represent a public health nuisance. The conference is open to anyone

interested in suicide prevention from survivors of suicide loss to

professionals working in the field. The Conference begins at 9 AM on

November 4, 2011 at the SERESC Conference Center in Bedford.





DATE November 4, 2011

9:00 AM



EVENT 8th Annual New Hampshire Suicide Prevention

Conference

Healing, Hope and Health



LOCATION SERESC Conference Center

Bedford, NH



(See attached file: SP - Conference Brochure Final.pdf)