American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Stronger Communities Conferences Gather Leading Experts to Discuss Suicide Prevention in the LGBTQ Community

Full-day conferences to raise awareness about LGBTQ suicide risk; support research and strategies for LGBTQ suicide prevention in local communities

New York, New York (April 20, 2023) – Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and a major public health concern that can impact anyone – but some groups are more at risk than others, including the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ youth, for example, are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. 

To address this problem, the nation’s leading suicide prevention organization, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), is hosting a series of upcoming events featuring top experts across the country to support the LGBTQ community with Stronger Communities: LGBTQ Suicide Prevention conferences. These full-day events are sponsored by local AFSP chapters with the goals of raising awareness about LGBTQ suicide risk, bringing research findings to the attention of professionals and the public, and exploring strategies for LGBTQ suicide prevention in local communities. 

The agenda for each event includes plenary and breakout sessions that feature national and local experts on LGBTQ mental health and suicide risk. The focus will be on making LGBTQ mental health, suicide prevention, and education a community priority.

Upcoming Stronger Communities Conferences in 2023

• Irvine, CA – April 21
  Register here
• Beverly Hills, MI – April 29
  Register here
• Tampa Bay, FL – May 20
  Register here

The first of the upcoming events is happening this Friday, April 21 in Irvine, California, hosted by AFSP Chapters- Greater Los Angeles & Central Coast, Orange County and San Diego. The event will have presenters from UCLA and The Trevor Project, as well as breakout sessions focused on various topics related to suicide prevention in the LGBTQ community, such as a panel of LGBTQ military veterans, focused on their experiences, resources and support. A light breakfast, lunch, and parking will be provided to attendees and advance registration is required.

While standard admission is $85, the chapters are giving out a handful of free admissions for community members to attend the Irvine Stronger Communities LGBTQ Suicide Prevention Conference. For anyone interested in attending the conference free of charge, they can visit https://strongercommunitiesca.attendease.com/ to register and use registration code SCCA2 to waive the entry fees on a first-come, first-served basis.

These events follow the first of the 2023 series, which took place in Baltimore, Maryland in March, and proved to be hugely impactful to the local LGBTQ community there and in Delaware.

“The conference provided a vital opportunity for over 240 mental health providers, health care professionals, educators, students, and community members to acquire tools to improve and support the mental health of the LGBTQ community in Maryland and Delaware,” said Kat Olbrich, AFSP Maryland and Delaware Area Director. “We highlighted ongoing suicide prevention research conducted at Johns Hopkins University and welcomed several speakers and community partners, showcasing local resources for the LGBTQ community and its allies. Participants were able to renew their knowledge and add new skills to help prevent future suicides.”

Upcoming Featured Experts and Topics for the 2023 Conference Series:

Irvine, CA

Suicide Risk and Prevention Among Transgender People
Jody Herman, Ph.D., Reid Rasmussen Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law

Supporting LGBTQ Youth Mental Health with The Trevor Project
Nova Bright (she/her), Director of Public Training, The Trevor Project

Minority Stress and Suicide Risk: What we know and what we need to know 
Ilan Meyer (he/him), Ph.D. Distinguished Senior Scholar for Public Policy at the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA’s School of Law

Beverly Hills, MI

Supporting LGBTQ Youth Mental Health with The Trevor Project
Nova Bright (she/her), Director of Public Training, The Trevor Project

Critical Role of Family Support in Preventing Suicide and Promoting Well-Being for LGBT Youth
Caitlin Ryan (she/her), Ph.D., ACSW, Director of the Family Acceptance Project

Understanding and Preventing Suicide in LGBT+ Communities 
Jody Herman, Ph.D., Reid Rasmussen Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law

Let’s Talk About Sex (because the silence is killing us)
Jeremy T. Goldbach (he/him), Ph.D., LMSW, Masters & Johnson Distinguished Professor of Sexual Health and Education with the Brown School at the University of Washington in St. Louis

Tampa Bay, FL

Ally training
Penelope French (they/she/he), Public Training Manager, The Trevor Project

Let’s Talk About Sex (because the silence is killing us)
Jeremy T. Goldbach (he/him), Ph.D., LMSW, Masters & Johnson Distinguished Professor of Sexual Health and Education with the Brown School at the University of Washington in St. Louis

Understanding and Preventing Suicide in LGBT+ Communities 
Jody Herman, Ph.D., Reid Rasmussen Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law

Additional Resources

For additional resources on how to help LGBTQ populations with mental health and suicide prevention, visit afsp.org/lgbtq-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention.

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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states including Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram, and YouTube.

Media Contact: PR Manager, pr@afsp.org