TSPN Call to Action GUN SAFETY PROJECT FOCUSES ON FIREARM RETAILERS, FIRING RANGES

Transcription

1 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 MAY 2013 TSPN Call to Action T E N N E S S E E S U I C I D E P R E V E N T I O N N E T W O R K INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Suicide Prevention Symposium Online Resources for Violence and Trauma TMHCA Annual Conference Attempt Survivors Speak Out Crisis Hotlines and Text Messages TSPN Regional Calendar Advisory Council Contact Information GUN SAFETY PROJECT FOCUSES ON FIREARM RETAILERS, FIRING RANGES The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network is rolling out its Gun Safety Project in counties across Tennessee, with the intent of reaching every county in the state by this September. The Gun Safety Project is a statewide project intended to share materials, developed by and for firearm retailers and range owners, on ways they can help prevent suicide. Our objectives are sharing guidelines with gun store/firing range owners about how to avoid selling or renting a firearm to a suicidal customer, and encouraging gun stores and firing ranges to display and distribute suicide prevention materials tailored to their customers. In any given year, firearms are involved in roughly 600 suicide deaths in Tennessee two-thirds of all the suicide deaths reported in our state each year. Additionally there are about 25 accidental firearm deaths in Tennessee each year, along with about 1,700 accidental shootings requiring emergency medical attention. The project is based on a firearms safety project developed by the New Hampshire Firearm Safety Coalition (NHFSC). Since its launch in 2009, the project had received considerable buy-in from local gun shop owners several of whom reported preventing a potential suicide thanks to the information the Coalition provided. (The New Hampshire project was profiled in an April 20 Huffington Post article for which TSPN Executive TSPN s promotional poster for the Gun Safety Project is suitable for posting in gun shops and at firing ranges and is available directly from the TSPN central office. Director Scott Ridgway and TSPN Substance Abuse Outreach Coordinator Granger Brown were both interviewed; the article is available at PLUS PARK BOULEVARD, SUITE 201 NASHVILLE, TN PHONE: (615) FAX: (615) TSPN@TSPN.ORG TSPN learned about the project at last year s American Association of Suicidology conference and subsequently began working with NHFSC to adapt the project to our state. The Network presented the idea to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and received their endorsement for the project. The materials used in TSPN s Gun Safety project are designed to help gun shop and firing range owners and employees identify and address potentially suicidal customers. The products urge them to be alert for signs of suicide among family and friends, to know where to call for help ( TALK [8255]) and to make sure that guns are not available to those in a suicidal crisis. The tip sheets, brochure, and other available materials are available for review and free download on the Gun Safety Project page on the TSPN website ( TSPN has received a database of every firearm retailer and firing range in the state, courtesy of TBI s Tennessee Instant Check System within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. County-specific excerpts from this database are being provided to regional members and interns, along with packets of project materials and scripts for introducing the project to would-be participants. Preliminary anecdotal reports suggest an enthusiastic response from gun dealers and ranges approached thus far. More information about the NHFSC is available from the Coalition website ( firearms-safety-coalitions-role-nh-suicide-prevention). For more information about TSPN s Gun Safety Project, please contact the TSPN central office at tspn@tspn.org.

2 TSPN CALL TO ACTION REGISTRATION STILL AVAILABLE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION SYMPOSIUM, MAY 9 IN NASHVILLE The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network is excited to announce its Suicide Prevention Symposium, set for Thursday, May 9, at Trevecca Community Church, located at 335 Murfreesboro Pike in Nashville. Our theme, "Your Role in Suicide Prevention", reflects the opportunity for new projects and initiatives made possible by the revised National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Jason H. Padgett, MPA, MSM, Task Force Liaison for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, will be our featured speaker. Mr. Padgett participated in the writing and development of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP). He will discuss the NSSP and the importance of everyone taking a role in its implementation. Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey has also been confirmed to speak at this event. Additionally, U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin has been invited to discuss the National Strategy and its implications for Tennessee. We have arranged for several dynamic speakers to lead us in breakout sessions on topics like suicide and substance abuse, suicide among older adults and within the LGBT population, suicide prevention within juvenile justice facilities, and response to suicide crises within schools and universities. We are expecting around 300 participants at this event including legislators, government officials, health care professionals, educators, clergy, journalists, community activists, survivors of suicide and suicide attempts, and the general public. As of press time, 224 seats had been reserved by sponsors and guests. Your registration fee of $35 entitles you to participation in all symposium lectures and breakout sessions, as well as the continental breakfast and conference luncheon. 5 contact hours are available for symposium participants. Registration is now available for this event by submitting the registration form and your check to the TSPN central office. The form is available via our homepage ( Guests who wish to pay by credit card may register online at our Eventbrite registration site ( (Note that the credit card registration price is $38; the higher price being necessary to cover processing fees.) We look forward to hearing from you and to having you as our guest for this life-changing, life-saving event. We will be happy to provide with additional information as needed; you can reach us at tspn@tspn.org or (615) The cover of the newly revised Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention, approved by TSPN s Advisory Council on February 13. The latest edition of the document reflects objectives outlined in the revised National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, published by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention in September of last year. Suicide Prevention Symposium Sponsors The Network wishes to thank the agencies which have committed to sponsoring this event as of press time. Additional sponsors are listed on page 5. Presenting Sponsors Underwriter Sponsors PAGE 2

3 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 SPOTLIGHT: ONLINE RESOURCES FOR VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA In the wake of last month s bombings at the Boston Marathon, the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network would like to recommend the Coping with Violence and Traumatic Events page on the website for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) ( The page features a comprehensive listing of resources for youth, parents, teachers, caregivers, and first responders. You may also be interested these other links, courtesy of federal and professional agencies: The Ready.gov guide for explosions, particularly the After tab: The Ready.gov guide for coping with the aftermath of disasters: Tips from the APA on recovering from disaster and trauma-related stress: A free guide from the American Red Cross on post-disaster emotional health: More information from the ARC on recovering emotionally from a disaster: A FEMA/ARC guise on helping children cope with disaster: Information on SAMHSA s Disaster Distress Helpline: Information for professionals on building resilience from APA Practice Central: TMHCA TO CELEBRATE 25 YEARS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE The Tennessee Mental Health Consumers Association will celebrate its 25 th anniversary during its annual conference from 8 AM to 4 PM on Thursday, May 16, at Oliver s Smoke House Lodge in Monteagle. The keynote speaker for this conference is Paolo del Vecchio, MSW, Director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). A self-identified mental health consumer, trauma survivor, and person in recovery from addictions, Paolo has been involved for over 40 years in behavioral health as a consumer, family member, provider, advocate, and policymaker. He is the co-founder of the National Empowerment Center and a former Commissioner on the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. He helped organize the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, a national voice for consumers and the international mental health advocacy organization Interrelate. Other scheduled speakers include Lisa Ragan, LMSW; Daniel Grooms MS, MBA;, Carolina George, MSSW; and Jennifer Jones, MSSW. Photo of Mr. del Vecchio courtesy of the SAMHSA website. Questions about the conference may be directed to Tory Vaughn at tvaughn@tmhca-tn.org. To register for the event and/or apply for a scholarship (which includes the cost of an overnight stay), visit the conference Eventbrite portal at The deadline for registrations is Wednesday, May 8. PAGE 3

4 TSPN CALL TO ACTION ATTEMPT SURVIVORS GAIN TRACTION IN PREVENTION MOVEMENT A recent Associated Press (AP) article profiles the increasing prominence of suicide attempt survivors in the suicide prevention movement. The American Association of Suicidology s new blog What Happens Now? ( features stories, insights, and resources provided by survivors of suicide attempts. The article also referenced Live Through This ( an online photo and video collection set up by photographer Dese Rae Stage (an attempt survivor and a graduate of East Tennessee State University) to document the experiences of people who have attempted suicide and found ways to survive. Furthermore, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention has established a task force on engagement of attempt survivors in prevention and awareness projects. The task force, which includes both mental health experts and attempt survivors, was established to meet objectives outlined in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, revised this past September. Dese Rae Stage (center), the originator of the Live Through This project, sits in front of some of the portraits included on the website (Photo courtesy Mary Altaffer of the AP). The AP article, published April 13, (available URL: describes a seismic shift in the willingness of attempt survivors to speak about their experiences and for mental health experts to acknowledge them. But it also notes that even with the increasing popularity of collaborative treatment, many mental health professionals are unsure how to deal with attempt survivors. They may assume that because a client has attempted suicide in the past, this makes them incapable of contributing to the treatment process or the suicide prevention movement at large. Also, studies show that 7% of all attempt survivors will die by suicide eventually many practitioners shy away from working with them for fear of inadvertently triggering another suicide attempt or being sued for malpractice if the person dies or attempts. "I remember sitting at a conference when speakers were talking about survivors it was like we were lab rats," explains Heidi Bryan, an attempt survivor and suicide prevention activist who serves on the Action Alliance task force. "Now they're finally realizing maybe we should be brought in on this. We need to erase the misperceptions that people have about us, so we're treated with the respect we deserve." CRISIS HOTLINES EXPANDING TO ACCEPT TEXT MESSAGES Crisis hotlines are increasingly offering text message services in an effort to reach out to teens and young adults in crisis. Most of the crisis intervention agencies offering counseling by text are regional in nature or geared to specific communities or concerns, according to a March 28 Associated Press article on the subject. For example, the National Dating Abuse Helpline established a textmessaging service in 2011 that currently accounts for roughly 20% of all contacts made to the line. About this same time, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America launched text and chat operations and promoted to teens and young adults through both social media and traditional outlets like television and magazines. As of February, 12% of its requests for assistance and information have come in through text. Many experts believe that text messaging may be the best way to reach a generation that increasingly communicates through text-messaging. A recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, cited in the AP report, observes that one in four teens accesses the Internet primarily by cell phone and the average teenager sends about 60 texts a day. "You can chat all you want but you're going to get older people, explains Debbie Gant-Reed, crisis line coordinator for the Crisis Call Center in Reno, Nevada, agrees. Young people don't chat. They text." Furthermore, some would-be users may be short on mobile phone minutes, may be threatened or insecure about a person around them and unable to talk out loud, or may have social anxiety issues that make talking on the phone difficult. Logo for the Crisis Text Line, a developing service that will connect people using text-messaging services to crisis hotlines (image courtesy of crisistextline.org). To this end, many crisis lines are broadening their services to include texts. DoSomething.org, a nationwide non-profit that helps young people with social service projects, is planning to introduce the Crisis Text Line to direct text messages to assorted partner organizations. The Trevor Project is one of several hotlines partnering with the Crisis Text Line; others include agencies that focus on dating violence, sexual abuse, and eating disorders. The Crisis Text Line is set to go live in August, more information about the project is available via its website ( PAGE 4

5 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 TSPN REGIONAL CALENDAR No December meetings are scheduled unless otherwise marked. Dates in bold and in neon fuschia indicate alternate meeting dates intended to accommodate state holidays or other previously scheduled events. East Tennessee Region monthly, 3rd Thursday, 12:00 PM Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, Inc., 9050 Executive Park Drive, Suite 104-A, Knoxville, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17, and November 21 Additional Suicide Prevention Symposium Sponsors Friend Sponsors Memphis/Shelby County Region monthly, 3rd Tuesday, 11:30 AM Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15, and November 19 Mid-Cumberland Region monthly, 2nd Thursday, 9:30 AM Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc., 937 Herman Street, Nashville, June 13, July 11, August 8, September 12, October 10, and November 14 Northeast Region monthly, 4th Tuesday, 10:30 AM Boone s Creek Christian Church, 305 Christian Church Road, Gray, May 28, June 25, July 23, August 27, September 24, October 22, and November 26 Event Supporters Rural West monthly, 3rd Wednesday, 10:30 AM Behavioral Health Initiatives, 36C Sandstone Circle, Jackson, May 15, June 19, July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16, and November 20 South Central monthly, 2nd Monday, 11:00 AM Conference Room A, South Central Regional Health Office, 1216 Trotwood Avenue, Columbia, May 13, June 10, July 8 monthly, 1st Wednesday, 11:00 AM August 7, September 4, October 2, November 6, December 4 Southeast Region monthly, 1st Thursday, 10:00 AM Johnson Mental Health Center, 420 Bell Avenue, Chattanooga, May 2, June 6, August 1, September 5, October 3, November 7, and December 5 Upper Cumberland Region monthly, 4th Thursday, 9:00 AM Volunteer Behavioral Health, 1200 Willow Avenue, Cookeville, May 23, June 27, July 25, August 22, September 26, October 24, and November 21 Intra-State Department Meetings Volunteer Room, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 220 French Landing Drive,, Nashville, (2:00 PM) May 1, August 7, and November 6 Advisory Council June 5-6 (Community Room, MNPD Hermitage Precinct, 3701 James Kay Lane, Hermitage) September 11 (Trevecca Community Church, 335 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville) Blount County Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Alliance monthly, 1st Friday, 12:00 PM Boys and Girls Club Meeting Room, Fort Craig Elementary School, 520 South Washington Street, Maryville, May 3, June 7, August 2, September 6, October 4, November 1, December 6 Davidson County Suicide Prevention Task Force monthly, 4th Wednesday, 3:00 PM Metro Public Health Department, rd Avenue North, Nashville, May 23, July 24, September 25, and November 29 Giles County Suicide Prevention Task Force quarterly, 3rd Monday, 1:30 PM Giles County Career Center, 125 South Cedar Lane, Pulaski, June 17, September 16, and December 16 Hickman-Perry County Suicide Prevention Task Force monthly, 4th Friday, 1:30 PM Senior Care Building, Hickman Community Hospital, 135 East Swan Street, Centerville, May 24, June 28, July 26, August 23, September 27, October 25, and November 22 Montgomery-Houston-Humphreys-Stewart Suicide Prevention Task Force monthly, 1st Tuesday, 9 AM Behavioral HealthCare Center at Clarksville, 930 Professional Park Drive, Clarksville, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5, and December 3 Rutherford County Suicide Prevention Coalition monthly, 1st Tuesday, 6 PM ITNOLAP Pallet & Crating, 651 Middle Tennessee Road, Murfreesboro, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5, and December 3 About 30 members of different sororities from Belmont University volunteered with TSPN as part of the university s Greek Week Service Day on April 13. They assembled TLC packets for future training sessions, bundled TSPN materials for easier access and documentation, and reorganized TSPN s on-site storage. TSPN extends its thanks to the sorority members who participated in the event. We are also grateful to TLC Administrative Assistant Tiffany Orth and MTSU intern Sarah Ferguson for their help in setting up volunteer stations ahead of their visit (photo courtesy of Scott Ridgway). PAGE 5

6 ADVISORY COUNCIL CONTACT INFORMATION If you are interested in getting involved with TSPN on a local level or have other questions, contact the chairperson of your region as indicated by the map provided below: East Tennessee region Anne Young, MS, CAS (865) anneyoung@cornerstoneofrecovery.com Memphis and Shelby County Renee Brown (901) , extension 5873 renee.brown3@va.gov Mid-Cumberland region Stephanie Barger, M.Div. (270) tspnmidcumberlandvolunteer@gmail.com Northeast region Harold Leonard, MA, LPC-MHSP (423) hleonard@centurylink.net Rural West region Anne Henning-Rowan, MS (731) annerowan@hughes.net South Central region Karyl Chastain Beal, MEd, CT (931) karylcb@bellsouth.net Southeast region Tim Tatum, MA (423) tim_tatum@chs.net Upper Cumberland region Jodi Bartlett, Ed. S, LPC-MHSP (931) or (931) , ext. 166 jbartlett@vbhcs.org Advisory Council Chair Jennifer Harris (931) jennifer.harris@baptisthospital.com Executive Director Scott Ridgway, MS (615) sridgway@tspn.org Advisory Council Emeritus Group Chair Sam Bernard, PhD, FAAETS, DABCEM (423) sam@sambernard.info Lake Lauderdale Obion Henry Weakley Dyer Gibson Carroll Crockett Haywood Madison Tipton Chester Henderson Benton Decatur Stewart Houston Humphreys Perry Montgomery Dickson Hickman Lewis Cheatham Maury Robertson Davidson Williamson Marshall Macon Sumner Clay Pickett Scott Claiborne Hancock Campbell Fentress Hawkins Trousdale Jackson Overton Union Smith Wilson Rutherford Bedford Cannon Putnam Morgan De Kalb Cumberland White Roane Warren Van Buren Rhea Coffee Monroe Grundy McMinn Sequatchie Bledsoe Meigs Anderson Grainger Hamblen Jefferson Knox Cocke Sevier Loudon Blount Greene Washington Unicoi Sullivan Carter Johnson Shelby Fayette Hardeman McNairy Hardin Wayne Lawrence Giles Lincoln Moore Franklin Marion Hamilton Bradley Polk