Suicide Prevention Forum Touches Many Lives

Internal Ways® in the media - 11/6/2011

Grafton, Mass -Internal Ways' first Grafton Suicide Prevention Forum took place Friday night inside Grafton High School Auditorium wiht a number of presenters and families in attendance. Representatives from Internal Ways, Depressed Anonymous, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Samaritans, PFLAG, as well as family members who had survived a suicide attempt all spoke to Grafton residents about the signals of depression and suicidal behavior.

Presenters Included Roger Trahan, Jr. (Grafton Resident), Steve White (Depressed Anonymous), Julie Pingree (Internal Ways), Kimberly Gleason (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), Debbie Helms (Samaritans), Susan Flynn and Molly Flynn (Family Survivors) and Zac Brokenrope (PFLAG).

Vickie Harding Wakeen of Wakeen Photography in Grafton, one of the evening's sponsors, thanked Pingree in a message, saying that suicide prevention is an important matter that needs to be talked about.

"I truly believe that what you did and are doing is so important to this community," Wakeen said. "If we don't all start with our small towns, and with the people we know, this movement to decrease the stigma over talking about suicide prevention will never happen. "Could you please express my gratitude to all the presenters last night, most especially to those who shared their personal and painful stories.  They should be proud of their courage to push through the pain and come out of it a stronger person.  I would really like to see another forum in town real soon, perhaps in the early spring.  I'd like to send these thoughts also to the powers that be ... principal, superintendent, media, etc. and I hope others will too.  We need to get this out in the open to save more lives." Internal Ways intends on making the forum a twice-yearly event.

Grafton Suicide Prevention Forum 2011 - Presenters: Roger Trahan, Jr. (Grafton Resident), Steve White (Depressed Anonymous), Julie Pingree (Internal Ways), Kimberly Gleason (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), Debbie Helms (Samaritans), Susan Flynn and Molly Flynn (Family Survivors) and Zac Brokenrope (PFLAG) Photo Credit: courtesy Wakeen Photography

Grafton to Talk Suicide Prevention

Internal Ways® in the media

10/15/2011

http://grafton.dailyvoice.com/neighbors/grafton-talk-suicide-prevention

Many in Grafton have felt that suicide prevention has been a topic long over due for discussion within the community.  For those that agree, the time is now to broach the subject in the open.  The Town of Grafton is hosting the “We Care about Our Community” – Suicide Prevention Forum. The evening will include short presentations on the signs and symptoms of suicidal behaviors and suicide prevention outreach. This informational event will take place at the Grafton High School Auditorium, 24 Providence Rd., Grafton. The event will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4.

Child care will be provided during the event in the Grafton High School gymnasium beginning at 6:30 p.m. Pre-registration for the child care is required. This free event is sponsored by Gaudette Insurance, Wakeen Photography, Re/Max Executive - Barbara Leazes and Houlden Farms. 

This event is for faculty, parents, teenagers, family members, friends, neighbors, clergy, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, police officers, advisers, caseworkers, firefighters and anyone with ties to the Grafton community who wish to become informed on the topic of suicide.

Presenters for the evening include the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Samaritans, who run a 24-hour help line at 877.870.HOPE, Depressed Anonymous, PFLAG, a suicide attempt story of a member of the LGBTQ Community, and families and individuals who have lost family members to suicide or have attempted suicide, and Internal Ways  a suicide prevention training and community coordination group.

Grafton Suicide Forum Plans

Internal Ways® in the media -  9/19/2011

http://grafton.dailyvoice.com/neighbors/internal-ways-spreads-suicide-prevention-awareness

GRAFTON, Mass. - Some topics will always be difficult to discuss, no matter when you bring it up or who is present for the conversation.
Suicide awareness and prevention is a subject that falls squarely within that realm.
Grafton resident Julie Pingree wants to make it easier for as many of her neighbors as she can.
"I don't think any time is a good time, but I think now is the time," Pingree said of discussing suicide warning signs in a public forum.
Pingree is the founder of "Internal Ways," a local organization focused on educating the public about depression and suicide awareness and prevention. She is also a certified QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) instructor from the QPR Institute in Spokane, Wa. and a member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP).
QPR's primary goals include teaching people how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, knowing how to offer hope and knowing how to get help and save a life.
She first became involved in working in her hometown this summer, when Grafton Public Television member Roger Trahan Jr. wrote a Letter to the Editor at the Daily Grafton, concerned that there was no outlet for the topic to get the attention it warrants.
"Suicide has been one of those hush, hush topics that families often sweep under the rug," Trahan wrote. "I think that the time is right for a community forum on suicide and to have a frank discussion about what we can do to recognize it's warning signs."
From 2003-2010, suicide attempts in the United States rose 37 percent. In Worcester County, an average of 9.2-12.9 suicide attempts occur per 100,000 individuals each year.
Recent suicides in Grafton and surrounding towns are an example of how close to home the issue can hit, even when it is unexpected, because the warning signs may go unnoticed.
The struggling economy, job loss, untreated mental healthy issues, relationship troubles, financial struggles, legal issues and alcohol or substance abuse are the leading contributors to suicidal behavior.
From 2005-2010, the leading demographic for suicide attempts is males age 45-54. The Samaritans Crisis Hotline took 118,000 calls in 2008 regarding suicide attempts or suicidal behavior. By 2010, that number had increased to over 200,000.
Upon reading the letter, Pingree reached out to Trahan and offered her services free of charge to head up the cause in Grafton.
Since then, Pingree has been contacted by Grafton Police Chief Normand Crepeau Jr. and Superintendent of Schools James Cummings about using both the Grafton Police Station and Grafton High School for services related to QPR.
A forum on suicide prevention will be hosted by Pingree at the GHS auditorium and will have a number of guest speakers including Kimberly Gleason from the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and members of the MCSP, Depressed Anonymous, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and the Samaritans.
The presenation will be geared toward high school students, parents and faculty and will focus on recognizing the warning signs of suicidal behavior and the symptoms of depression, and learning how to get people the help they may need.
"People who have suicidal behaviors or tendencies are less apt to be forthcoming about their feelings," Pingree said. "There are a lot of signs, like a person isolating themself, or giving up things that they like doing to just being down. And of course there's a natural process for things that happen. Everyone gets stressed. When there's a loss in the family, there's a grief process. But when it carries over, it can be dangerous."
After the presentation at GHS, Pingree hopes to utilize the Police Station's conference room for two QPR training sessions. Pingree said it's important to ensure that this is not a topic that is brought up once and then forgotten.
"For the QPR training, that's more geared to teaching people the signs and the symptoms and role playing," Pingree said. "Then we would like to break into support groups either for attempt survivors or people who have survived somebody after losing them to an attempt."
Dates for these meetings are to be determined, but they will be taking place this fall.
On the night of the forum, daycare will be offered to parents, and it will be open for anyone who would like to come. The QPR training sessions will require registration and will accept the first 30 people to register for either session.
Pingree is working with Trahan and Judy Merrick of the North Grafton Methodist Church to put the program together for the town.
"I would like to see that this is not just a one-time outreach," Pingree said. "I would like to see this continue because the problem is not going to go away."
"There will be people who have attemped suicide, people who have been left behind that are affected by suicide," she continued. "And then there are new ideas and approaches that we can bring to parents, school faculty or first responders. There are always new things that are changing and always happening. Those types of programs I would like to see every month, and the community forums at least once a year."
It may never be easy to talk about, but the community at least has the chance to bring suicide prevention and awareness out in the open.