Conference Schedule

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

This conference will be held in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual experiences. Virtual attendees will receive an email with instructions on how to attend. All attendees will have access to recordings of all sessions following the conference.

COVID-19 Policy:
We ask that you follow the CDC guidelines as they apply to your vaccination status and the use of masks.

This program has been approved for 6 CEU hours for in-person sessions and up to 28.5 virtual hours available to all registrants online.

SCHEDULE OVERVIEW - For detailed descriptions of each session scroll down

Learn about our speakers

Thursday, October 21

8:30 - 8:45 AM. Welcome - Nikki Kontz, LMSW - Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition President
8:45 - 9:00 AM - State of the State - Albert Swanson
9:00 - 10:30 AM - Turning Pain into Purpose - Anne Moss Rogers

10:30 - 10:45 AM - Break

10:45 -12:15 PM - Overlooked Signs of Suicidality in Black Youth - Michael Lindsey, PhD, MSW, MPH

12:15 - 1:00 PM - Lunch

1:15 - 2:45 PM - Breakout Sessions

The Emotionally Naked Truth About Student Suicide - Anne Moss Rogers
Suicide in Later Life – Clinical and Public Health Perspectives - Yeates Conwell, MD
The Partnership between EMPACT and Police: An Informed and Receptive Response for Community Members - Michele Russell, LMSW & Michael Rhinehart
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth - Wallace Hudson

2:45 - 3:00 pm - Break

3:00 -4:30 pm - Breakout Sessions

The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on College Student Mental Health During COVID -19 - William Beverly, PhD, LMFT, CCHP & Katie Costello
Maricopa Community Colleges’ Proactive Approach to Suicide Prevention - Andrea Scherrer
Arizona Crisis Services, Covid-19 and the future of 988 - Panel Moderator, Nikki Kontz
Social Connection Planning with Older Adults: Enhancing Social Connections to Prevent Older Adult Suicide - Emile Bower, PhD

Friday, October 22

8:00 - 8:30 AM - Registration & Breakfast
8:30 - 10:00 AM - Up on the High Wire: Mental Resilience During Tough Times - Sally Spencer-Thomas

10:00 - 10:15 AM - Break

10:15 - 11:45 AM - Messaging Matters, Principles of Effective Communication for Suicide Prevention - Stan P. Collins

12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch

1:15 - 2:45 PM - Breakout Sessions

Means Safety, Understanding “How” is as Important as “Why” to Preventing Suicide - Stan P. Collins
Bridging Connections to Community Supports: Using Crisis Center Trained Volunteers in an Engagement and Follow-Up Intervention Program- Stephanie Kelly
Suicide, Freedom and the Reverence for Life - Roumen Bezergianov
Rediscovering Spirituality In the Wake of Suicide - Amy Castellanos

2:45 - 3:00 pm - Break

3:00 -4:30 pm - Breakout Sessions

Secure Your Weapon: How To Help Gun Owners Keep Firearms Safe - Panel with Thomas Winkle, Arizona Coalition for Military Families & Jon Perez, NARBHA Institute.
How Can You Help Improve Mental Health in Schools - Brian Planty, AHCCCS & Michelle Cabanillas, ADE
Culture as a Protective Factor - Micheon Gorman

2021 Sponsors

Session Descriptions

Thursday, October 21

8:30 - 8:45 AM. Welcome - Nikki Kontz, LMSW - Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition President

8:45 - 9:00 AM - State of the State - Albert Swanson

9:00 - 10:30 AM - Turning Pain into Purpose - Ann Moss Rogers
TEDx and emotionally naked storyteller, Anne Moss Rogers, has built a following on the tabooist of subjects—suicide, and the mental illness and addiction that often trigger it. After trying to find help for her once joyful son and rap artist, including wilderness therapy and therapeutic boarding school, Charles met heroin, a love affair that ended with his suicide in June 2015. This presentation is about her journey to healing by dragging an unpopular topic into the spotlight, how giving back has helped her heal, and how a blog community that came together in their shared pain has saved lives in the most surprising and unconventional of ways.

10:30 - 10:45 AM - Break

10:45 -12:15 PM - Overlooked Signs of Suicidality in Black Youth - Michael Lindsay, PhD, MSW, MPH
Black youth suicide and suicidal behavior rates are rising, defying historic trends of lower suicidality in this population. Placed in the context of an overall rise in U.S. suicide rates, we see the gap narrowing between black and white youth for completed suicides. Yet the warning signs of suicide in black children and adolescents are often overlooked, misinterpreted, or not well understood. Furthermore, stigma, disproportionate poverty and structural inequities can all create barriers to access. Learn what we know about suicide in this population and what is needed to reverse the trend.

12:15 - 1:00 PM - Lunch

1:15 - 2:45 PM - Breakout Sessions

The Emotionally Naked Truth About Student Suicide - Ann Moss Rogers
It was a teacher who first told Anne Moss Rogers that her son, Charles, might be suffering from depression. And it was a teacher who wrote the most heartfelt note after her son died by suicide. It was also the environment that exacerbated his feelings of worthlessness. Based on the book, Emotionally Naked: A Teacher’s Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk, this workshop will empower teachers and youth leaders with the skills to leverage their relationships with students to reduce this threat to life. Educators will learn the cryptic and often veiled ways students cry for help, how to respond and what to do. Attendees will also learn ways to model and embed SEL competencies and facilitate connection, the foundation of suicide prevention.
Suicide in Later Life – Clinical and Public Health Perspectives - Yeates Conwell, MD
Older adulthood is a period of high risk for suicide. This presentation will review the epidemiology of suicide in later life, the factors associate with self-injurious behavior in older adults, and approaches to its prevention from both clinical and public health perspectives. We also will review the issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to suicide and its prevention in later life.
The Partnership between EMPACT and Police: An Informed and Receptive Response for Community Members - Michele Russell, LMSW & Michael Rhinehart
LaFrontera EMPACT-SPC has a long and strong history of collaboration with law-enforcement. Police regularly utilize EMPACT-SPC’s Mobile Crisis Teams which provide a mobile response to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis in Maricopa County and surrounding area. Utilizing a System’s Based approached grounded in Crisis Management Theory, EMPACT-SPC focuses on de-escalating crisis situations, assessing danger to self, danger to others and connecting individuals to formal and informal supports. Seventy-seven percent of EMPACT-SPC’s crisis dispatches are resolved in the community. Anytime Law Enforcement Officers request a Crisis Team, the first available and closest Mobile Team responds. Despite Maricopa County spanning 9224 square miles, response times for mobile teams responding to a request from police is 35 minutes. Once on-scene, the Mobile Crisis Team coordinates then quickly releases Police. Police report having positive experiences with EMPACT-SPC Mobile Teams and likely to use them in the future. This past year was interesting. While EMPACT-SPC saw a decrease in community crisis dispatches that coincided with Arizona’s shutdown in response to COVID-19, there was an increase in Mobile Team requests from Police. This is in part because of the collaboration with Phoenix Police and the initiation of the Sunnyslope Pilot. Sunnyslope is a community within Phoenix that has highest mental calls to 911 in all of Phoenix. Unique about the Sunnyslope pilot is the dispatching of Mobile Teams. At the 911 call center, dispatchers identify calls appropriate for Mobile Team response and 911 dispatches Police and Mobile Teams at the same time. 911 dispatchers can also divert mental health calls for Mobile Team Responses without sending Police. Hence, Phoenix Police reported an increase in Mobile Dispatches. EMPACT-SPC received almost 200 more requests for mobile services from police than the previous year. The reasons for the increased calls were speculated to mean there was a better understanding from Police how Mobile Crisis Teams could help the community. Typical reasons to dispatch a Mobile Team had been for self-harm/suicidal thoughts or plans and psychosis, but through this collaboration Teams received more calls for aggression/DTO, coordination of care, anxiety, depression, social concerns and housing problems. Outcomes are still being measured. Another component of this collaboration with Police, includes EMPACT-SPC staff serving as instructors for Law Enforcement Officers in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings. Since 2007, EMPACT-SPC has assisted as lead instructors for the Phoenix-Metro CIT program. Since December 2018, EMPACT-SPC has trained all Phoenix Police Recruits in MHFA-Public Safety Module. One thousand three hundred and fifty Officers have received MHFA since 2019. EMPACT-SPC also entered into a collaborative partnership with Phoenix Police to meet the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) “One-Mind Challenge” by ensuring that 100% of Patrol Officers are trained in either CIT or MHFA. Since December 2018, eight hundred forty-five Officers were trained in MHFA at no cost to the Phoenix Police Department. Additionally, EMPACT-SPC is the only organization in the Nation authorized by National Council for Behavioral Health to teach and pilot MHFA-Public Safety and MHFA-Veteran. Based on outcomes, this may lead to a national adoption of the model. These successes have brought about a new development between EMPACT-SPC and Phoenix Police. Both co-authored a Bureau of Justice (BJA) Mental Health/Law-Enforcement Collaboration Grant. Recently implemented, this grant provides post-crisis follow up services delivered by certified Peer-Support Specialist for individuals identified by Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Officers. The service is designed to help better serve the needs of the individual by connecting the client to resources while also reducing police calls for service and involvement with the justice system. Preliminary results indicate approximately 65% reduction of calls to police after connecting the community member to a Navigator. Lastly and equally important, EMPACT-SPC has been a contributing sponsor to the Officer Wellness Conference. This Conference is geared at educating and providing support to Law Enforcement families and Law Enforcement Officers’ self-care. The Conference provides an array of activities that focus on self-care, such as trauma informed education. Included in this partnership is funding for a hotline that focuses on First Responders by providing Peer Level Navigators who can connect specifically to First Responders and guide them to additional support and resources. It is through this collaboration that EMPACT-SPC is working with Police to have a more informed response to those in the community having mental health issues. In mental health emergencies, Mobile Crisis Teams respond to community members at the request of police, through Phoenix 911 dispatching or being diverted to mental health support from 911. CIT Officers can also request certified Peer Support Navigators who provide support and discuss resources. There is also training and resources for Officers’ and their families. Other collaborations with EMPACT-SPC and Police will be discussed as well.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth - Wallace Hudson
LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of suicide than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Creating spaces in which LGBTQ+ youth are validated and respected can combat these statistics. In this workshop, we'll talk about the statistics around LGBTQ+ youth and suicide and the best way to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ youth.

2:45 - 3:00 pm - Break

3:00 -4:30 pm - Breakout Sessions

The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on College Student Mental Health During COVID -19
- William Beverly, PhD, LMFT, CCHP & Katie Costello
Prior to the pandemic, suicide was already recognized as a serious issue of concern for college campuses, with suicide being the second leading cause of death among college students. Younger and college-age adults reported having experienced disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation during the pandemic. Consequently, it is essential that colleges and universities review the available mental health resources and implement empirically supported practices that promote the health and wellness of students. One such approach is mindfulness, which has been shown to decrease suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety, and promote resiliency. This workshop describes a 6-session mindfulness-based counseling group that was offered to community college students while the campus was locked down (sessions delivered remotely). At the end of this brief intervention, students reported a statistically significant decrease in stress, improved emotional well-being, and ability to cope with difficulties in their life. These six sessions, including the brief outcome measure, are public domain and can be replicated by other helping professionals serving populations coping with toxic stress and adversity.
Maricopa Community Colleges’ Proactive Approach to Suicide Prevention - Andrea Scherrer
Maricopa Community College faculty are teaching students the same resiliency skills that are taught to professionals who are exposed to high levels of traumatic stress in their work. Our goal is to improve our students’ mental health and resiliency, which can reduce suicide rates. Our proactive approach includes a more trauma-informed suicide prevention perspective with emotional contagion prevention training. We are teaching students resilience and well-being instead of being reactive with suicide awareness and intervention trainings. Learn about our approach, and our classes, in this session.
Arizona Crisis Services, Covid-19 and the future of 988 - Frank O’Holloran & Nikki Kontz
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on every aspect of society, particularly health care, is undeniable. The pandemic has tested the limits of crisis response capabilities as people struggle with extreme stress, uncertainties, fear, quarantine, social isolations and movement restrictions. It also revealed the remarkable resilience of people and organizations and stimulated positive change and innovation.

This panel will consist of crisis system leaders statewide. Topics for discussion include current crisis services available across the state and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel will also provide an update on the implementation of 988 as the new National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Number.
Social Connection Planning with Older Adults: Enhancing Social Connections to Prevent Older Adult Suicide - Emile Bower, PhD
In this session, attendees will learn about the important role that social connections can play in preventing older adult suicides. Dr. Bower will describe a cognitive behavioral model of social connectedness and introduce attendees to the “Social Connection Plan”, which is an evidence-informed method for promoting social connections in later life that is based in cognitive-behavioral principles.

Friday, October 22

8:00 - 8:30 AM - Registration & Breakfast

8:30 - 10:00 AM - Up on the High Wire: Mental Resilience During Tough Times - Sally Spencer-Thomas
Are we doing enough to invest in mental health and “mental resiliency”? What does it actually mean to be emotionally fit and psychologically hardy? With increasing demands to do more with less and perform with polish, people need coping tools and emotional inoculation to get them through challenges. This keynote looks at the issue of mental wellness and gives participants the tools to help themselves and others sustain a passion for living over the long haul. As a psychologist, mental health advocate, and survivors of her brother’s suicide, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas brings a unique perspective to the topic. From storytelling to discussing the effects of stress on the brain, Sally will help participants know how to stay mentally fit, avoid burnout and remain focused on wellness.

10:00 - 10:15 AM - Break

10:15 - 11:45 AM - Messaging Matters, Principles of Effective Communication for Suicide Prevention - Stan P. Collins
How we communicate about suicide and prevention shapes our views, opinions and behaviors. During the presentation attendees will learn how to safely and effectively communicate to support suicide prevention. Attendees will explore criteria to evaluate and create messages that not only "do no harm" but more importantly focus on hope, support, and prevention in order to help people find their reasons for living. The presentation will also offer strategies for elevating the voices of youth and peers by bringing their wisdom, knowledge and power to messaging efforts. In addition, attendees will be introduced to the Directing Change Program and Film Contest where youth create 60-second films on suicide prevention and mental health.

12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch

1:15 - 2:45 PM - Breakout Sessions

Means Safety, Understanding “How” is as Important as “Why” to Preventing Suicide - Stan P. Collins
Reducing access to lethal means is one of the most effective strategies for suicide prevention. During the presentation attendees will learn about foundational research to support means safety as part of a comprehensive strategy for suicide prevention. Attendees will explore programs and opportunities to engage the community in means safety. Particular focus will be provided on firearm suicide prevention strategies and efforts.
Bridging Connections to Community Supports: Using Crisis Center Trained Volunteers in an Engagement and Follow-Up Intervention Program - Stephanie Kelly
This session showcasing the Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands program, will examine evidence based practices (What ‘traditional’ caring contacts look like, the benefits to them, how simple they can be and yet the tremendous impact they’ve been shown to have) using the models and research which exists; and supplementing it with what our contacts look like, the benefits derived from them, and the impact they are having. The emphasis with be on the robust and fluid nature of our contacts; and how our contacts reinforce our organizational philosophy. Secondly, we will explain our organizational philosophy, and show why this A Caring Connection program is a logical pairing given our philosophy, our pre-existing programs, and our volunteer driven model-all of which helped us develop the protocols we have instituted including the referral process. Thirdly, we will dissect the program focusing on the inter-relationship of program, participant, volunteer, family/friends, DPH/DMH, partnering agencies and community services-such as housing, food and income supports. More specifically, we will look at the training, role and support of the volunteer; the communication amongst all supports and the participant; and the role of the program director. Fourth, we will highlight program successes, including statistical information about the program.
Suicide, Freedom and the Reverence for Life - Roumen Bezergianov
Because suicide is uniquely human, the way to effectively help suicidal individuals is to appeal to what Viktor Frankl calls “the specifically human dimension” of a person. Carl Jaspers argues that it is impossible for any illness to completely eclipse the human being so that the whole human being falls ill; there are always parts that remain unaffected by the illness, parts that are healthy. This is the heart and soul of the humanistic approach—that we are always more than our illnesses or symptoms, and more than the sum of our parts. When we engage this uniquely human and therefore healthy part of a person, we activate resources within the individual that lay dormant, and empower the individual to rise to the occasion of their life and transcend their suffering. The purpose of this work is to help people struggling with suicidal thoughts see their lives from a different perspective, become empowered, gain motivation to build up their communities and overcome isolation, learn again to celebrate life in big and small ways, and fulfill their own unique meaning in life. Abraham Heschel said: “It is not only what the future holds for me, but also what I bring to the future.” We need to be reminded that, to a greater or lesser degree, we are all co-creators of our future, and that a human being is never a finished product, but a living being who chooses what to become in the next moment. We need to approach this human freedom with the utmost respect and care, with reverence and understanding that it is the limit of what we can do for others, no matter how close these people may be to us. When we approach it with such authentic humility, we will often find the other party ready to engage with us as equals, as human beings that honestly try to help each other in a respectful, dignified way.
Rediscovering Spirituality In the Wake of Suicide - Amy Castellanos
When a community member dies by suicide it leaves a wake of unanswered questions and emotions. Those close to the person may feel separated from themselves and divided between grief, anger, resentment, and overwhelm. These questions, feelings and emotions can spill into everyday thoughts and leave a person searching for ways to understand themselves and their spirituality. This session defines spirituality as personal journey that exists beyond religious practices. Participants will develop an understanding of spiritual functioning and how trauma impacts spirituality. Participants will also explore how embodiment can serve as a reentry point to spirituality after a traumatic loss.

2:45 - 3:00 pm - Break

3:00 -4:30 pm - Breakout Sessions

Secure Your Weapon: How To Help Gun Owners Keep Firearms Safe - Panel with Thomas Winkle, Arizona Coalition for Military Families & Jon Perez, NARBHA Institute.
Created by and especially for the veteran community, as well as active duty, Guard and reserve military, families, and the general public, Secure Your Weapon is a public education campaign that reminds all to safely handle and secure their weapons as they would while on active duty. And, taking a step beyond that, to encourage the veteran community to also help educate the general public on safe handling and storage of weapons.

At once an order, but also a cultural icon with the military and veteran community. The term itself is a time-honored military expression, immediately understood by anyone who has ever served. It refers to a deeply rooted military tradition: your weapon (firearm) is under your direct control or it is secured, meaning safely stored and preferably locked. In fact, it must be locked when not in use, and even triple locked by military standards. It is the norm, rigidly trained and always expected such that it becomes second nature and practiced without even thinking about it.
How Can You Help Improve Mental Health in Schools - Brian Planty, AHCCCS & Michelle Cabanillas, ADE
The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) have been partnering on behavioral health in school efforts since 2018. During the last three years, there has been a 300% increase in students receiving behavioral health services in schools and a 41% decrease in youth suicides. How can you play a role in this work? During this workshop we will review ongoing partnership projects, identify active ways stakeholders can be involved, and advocate for community support of suicide prevention in schools.
Culture as a Protective Factor - Micheon Gorman
Presenters will share their expertise and experience implementing the theme “Culture IS Prevention” for an urban-living American Indian community to address trauma, youth substance use through the development of two research-based adaptations of curriculum and program implementation from a data-driven perspective. Workshop will also provide details on the development and implementation of the Suicide Prevention Convening for the American Indian Community. Presenters will describe the process and design with presenting the model and community feedback. This session will also provide insight on approaches to suicide prevention through culture and take a look on how the Phoenix Indian Center & the Urban Indian Coalition of Arizona utilizes this preventative means in the Urban Indian Community.