AFSP Sponsoring the American Association of Suicidology’s Healing After Suicide Loss Summit

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is honored to be a sponsor for the 56^th annual American Association of Suicidology Conference, including the Healing After Suicide Loss Summit. The conference as a whole will take place Wednesday, April 19 through April 22 in Portland, Oregon. The Healing After Suicide Loss Summit portion of the event, in addition to being in-person, will be livestreamed on April 19.

The conference is a gathering of those focused on suicide prevention, including clinicians, researchers, attempt survivors, crisis service professionals, public health and government officials, advocates and others. The Healing After Suicide Loss Summit sets to offer hope, a sense of community, and tangible tools for those impacted by suicide loss, as well for care providers who work within this community.

Two of AFSP’s national staff members – Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Laurel Stine, and Director, Support Services for Loss Survivors, Shannon Donnick – will be participating in the following two discussions:

What Now: Support and Advocacy After a Suicide Death

April 19 [Exact Time TBD – click here for updates]

AFSP’s Shannon Donnick will be presenting with Joan S. Hoff, board member for AFSP's Oregon Chapter & member of AFSP's National Loss & Healing Council

This discussion will focus on how suicide loss survivors can turn their loss into action and how powerful and healing it can be to find that call to purpose to help others. Hoff will draw on her personal perspective, sharing how becoming involved with AFSP gave her a renewed appreciation for life and a fresh purpose after her suicide loss. She and Donnick will share information about AFSP programs including Healing Conversations, in which survivors of suicide loss are able to provide participants, whose loss is more recent, with hope, understanding and resources; as well as International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, the Out of the Darkness Walks, as well as other opportunities for survivors of suicide loss to get involved and make a difference, such as becoming a volunteer advocate or through education programs like Talk Save Lives. The session will provide suicide loss survivors with a feeling of hope, as well as a sense of how healing it can be to support others.

 

What's Next? A Public Policy Panel on Current, Past, and Future of Suicide Prevention in the Public Sector

April 21, 10:30 AM PT / 1:30 PM ET

Laurel Stine will be presenting with Janel Cubbage, Strategic Partnerships and Equity Program Manager, Center for Gun Violence; and Leeann Sherman, President and CEO, American Association of Suicidology

In the midst of ongoing mental health and substance use crises, suicide is more commonly being recognized as a complex issue requiring comprehensive solutions. Federal and state governments have responded to national calls for action on suicide prevention with a variety of policy solutions and investments, including launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, and increased support for the continuum of care.

Despite this progress, challenges persist in ensuring equitable access to care is embedded into the fabric of our communities, particularly for populations with higher suicide risk. Public policy plays a critical role in developing far-reaching solutions that support suicide prevention. This panel will explore the current landscape at the federal and state levels to support prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery and look into the crystal ball of where we are headed and how you can help.

 

Survivors of suicide loss, as well as those interested in suicide prevention, will benefit from attending this conference. Learn more and register here:

Healing After Suicide Loss Summit
https://suicidology.org/aas23/healing-after-loss-summit/ 

#AAS23 56^th Annual Conference
https://www.theeventregistration.com/aas23/2650799