You’re Not Alone: Addressing Suicide Prevention Together Through Faith, Hope, and Love

The 4^th annual Suicide Prevention Summit for Faith Leaders, which offers participants tools and skills to improve the mental well-being of congregants and communities and to provide care and comfort to all those affected by suicide attempts or loss, is on Thursday, September 23, from 10 am to 2 pm.

This year’s Summit will be a hybrid event both in person and live streamed to allow all who want to attend from across the state.

The Summit, which is sponsored by NAMI-Utah and the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition with support from Intermountain Healthcare, recognizes the pivotal role that diverse faith leaders play in supporting mental health and helping prevent suicide.

“Intermountain Healthcare is pleased partner with NAMI for  this event. We recognize the close ties between faith communities and their members and the opportunities to support and intervene when a member is in crisis,” said Kristy Jones, Intermountain Healthcare community health director.

Registration is free and available at http://namiut.2.vu/FaithSummit2021

“The Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition recognizes the vital role faith leaders play in preventing suicide within their communities,” said Benée Larsen, program director of NAMI Utah’s Prevention by Design program and co-chair of the Utah Suicide Prevention Faith Advisory Group. “We look forward to coming together to learn skills and insights that can help strengthen resilience, and provide hope to prevent suicide with in our faith communities.”

“Faith Leaders in Utah have a pivotal role not only in helping prevent suicide but in assisting their members to cope and reach out to one another when such a tragic event occurs,” said advocate and advisory group member Pamela Atkinson. With the Summit being a hybrid event we hope to foster competence among our faith communities across the state, because they often are left to support those struggling with suicide.”

“This summit will provide leaders of faith communities throughout Utah with an important opportunity to learn skills to help prevent suicide and to minister more effectively to those who are struggling,” according to Travis Baer, licensed clinical social worker with Family Services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and an Advisory Group co-chair.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is honored and grateful to work closely with other faith leaders, dedicated public servants, healthcare professionals, and business leaders to help those in our faith communities who are in need of our love and support,” said Baer.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

Keynote Presentation by Dr. Ali Crandall PhD, MPH: In this presentation, Dr. Crandall will discuss the role of positive experiences in protecting against mental health problems and examine ways faith leaders can help prevent suicide in their own congregations and communities.

Panel Discussion of Personal Examples of Resilience after Trauma with Deondra Brown, Lark Dean Galley, Shayla Slaymaker, and Rabbi Zippel.

Building Inclusive Communities to Foster Faith, Hope, and Love with Richard Ostler, Host of Listen, Learn and Love Podcast

Building Compassionate Communities: Strategies for Community, Leadership, and Well-Meaning Caregivers to Reduce Risk and Promote Healing with Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW, F-GSA, FT, APHSW-C.

Building Resilient Communities with Pastor Logan Wolf of the Crosspoint Church

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