November 2021 Call to Action

The monthly newsletter of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network

Hello everyone! As we head into the holiday season this month, I want to urge you all to check in on your friends and family for whom the holidays are hard, as well as be sure to check in on yourself and your mental health. This season is so busy and can be very stressful, so let's all make time to work self-care into our holiday schedules.

This month is also Family Caregivers Month, and down below we have shared a couple of resources for those who are caregivers, encouraging them to check in on their own physical, mental, and emotional health. Check it out for yourself, or pass it along to anyone who may need that check-in in their life.

-Misty

In this issue

New hire announcement

2020 suicide data release

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day info

and more!

Our staff participated in the 2021 StigmaStache Invitational in Mount Juliet in late October, a golf tournament presented by Cedar Recovery and Health Connect America. The tournament started as a way to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction and has become an annual tradition.

Last month, several of our staff collaborated with other organizations on Red Ribbon Week 2021. Red Ribbon Week is a nationwide drug abuse prevention and awareness campaign. Thank you to all of our partner organizations that work toward this cause every day of the year!

South Central Regional Director Mary Anne Christian with the Lawrence County Substance Abuse Coalition, prepping goody bags for distribution at Lawrence County Schools

Northeast Regional Director Kayla Sharpe with the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department, the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition, and the United Way of Kingsport on Drug Take Back Day

Even though September has come and gone, we are still finding opportunities to recognize our awesome volunteers and partners for their efforts. Check out a couple of photos of Regional and Statewide Suicide Prevention Awareness Award winners below.

Nathan Wray

East Region Winner

Brittany Willis

Intrastate Departmental Group Winner

We'd like to take a moment to thank Brenda Harper, Chair of the Mid-Cumberland Region, for her service as our Advisory Council Chair for the past year. We are grateful for the wisdom and experience Brenda brought to the table as Advisory Council Chair, and we thank her for leading the Advisory Council through a tough year characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you, Brenda!

TSPN is excited to welcome new staff member Chris Edwards to the team. Chris serves as TSPN's Southeast Regional Director.

After receiving his undergraduate education from UTC, Chris launched his own martial arts school in Chattanooga. After many years he had to close his doors and this left him in a dark place, struggling with hopelessness. This experience taught him to dig deeper in his faith, engage in resiliency to try again, and realize there is always hope.

Chris has also served in ministry for the last 18 years, 10 of which as an Associate Pastor. His passion began to shift towards suicide prevention which led him to join the U.S. Army Reserves as a Chaplain Candidate. He began pursuing a Master of Divinity in fulfilment of the requirements to complete chaplaincy training. He is on a mission to be there for soldiers struggling to offer a judgement free compassionate support.

Chris brings a unique perspective to TSPN with more than 6,000 hours of public speaking, a vast array of leadership experience, multiple martial arts black belts, 2 World Records, published his own book, and brings a calm, yet confident presence to even the most stressful situations. He is committed to building partnerships with community stakeholders to collaboratively eliminate suicide in Tennessee and ultimately bring hope to the hopeless.

Welcome, Chris!

This month we said farewell to our Deputy Director, Sandra Mooney. We are incredibly grateful for the time that Sandra was on our team, and she leaves with us a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight that will benefit TSPN for years to come.

We wish Sandra all the best on her journey, and we thank her for the growth that she cultivated on our team.

2020 suicide data has been released from the Tennessee Department of Health's Vital Statistics program. We are working on creating content with the updated data; in the meantime, check out the press release we sent out statewide with notable data points and insights.

Stay tuned for more information regarding updated data soon. Email TSPN's Data and Communications Director Morgan Tubbs at mtubbs@tspn.org with specific questions.

2021 International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day

This year's International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, also known as Survivor Day, takes place on November 20. This day is so important for those who have lost someone to suicide to feel seen and supported. There are several events taking place to commemorate this meaningful and necessary day.