August 2021 Call to Action

The monthly newsletter of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network

Hi friends! Can you believe it is August already? We hope that those of you with young ones are gearing up for a great year at school. Don't forget that we offer several trainings geared toward those who work with children, youth, and young adults!

On our end, we are busy preparing for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September. It's just a few weeks away! Check out our calendar of events below or visit tspn.org/events to find info on our statewide AND regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month events.

At our statewide event in Murfreesboro, we will be asking everyone to wear masks and conducting temperature checks at the door on both September 8 and 9. Though things may seem a bit scary with COVID on the rise again, rest assured that we are taking all precautions to keep everyone safe during our event.

-Misty

We are less than one month out from our statewide Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event!

Important updates:

Due to the rising number of COVID cases, we will be mandating masks and checking temperatures at both days of our event.

To accommodate long-distance travelers to our event, TSPN/TAADAS has reserved a block of guest rooms at the Embassy Suites for overnight guests, available at the discounted cost on a first-come, first-served basis.

To reserve one of these rooms, please call 1-800-445-8667 or register online here. Please identify yourself as part of the group "TAADAS TSPN Recovery Month Dinner."

Additional info:

Guests will be responsible for the $8 overnight self-parking fee.

All rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi.

Check-in is at 4 p.m. on the day of your reservation; check-out is 11 a.m. the morning after. You will pay for your room upon check-out.

Still not registered for the event? Click here!

Email tspn@tspn.org with any questions.

Last month, our First Responder Task Force co-chairs Mary Anne Christian and Doug Pardue (pictured) attended the Tennessee Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Education Association conference to share info about first responder suicide prevention.

We are inspired by the task force's commitment to save the lives of those who save lives for a living.

In early August, TSPN filed a public comment with the Federal Communications Commission in support of the text-to-988 function being implemented through the Crisis Text Line. TSPN has a fantastic relationship with the CTL and they do their job very well, so we believe utilizing them and their existing service would be a great way to facilitate the text function for 988 nationwide next year.

September is still a few weeks away, but we already have some awesome regional volunteers across the state working to secure city and county proclamations declaring September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month!

Pictured here is Northeast Advisory Council member Drew Turner with Mayor Chuck Vest of Jonesborough.

This month we send our best wishes to our Northeast Regional Director Molly Colley and our Southeast Regional Director Rachel Gearinger. We will miss Molly and Rachel, but we are incredibly grateful for all their hard work over the last two years on both regional and statewide projects and initiatives.

We concur with the outpouring of appreciation for Rachel and Molly that we have received from Advisory Council members and volunteers from all over the state, and we are excited to see where they are headed on their professional journeys.

Please join us in welcoming Vladimir Enlow, MTS, as the new Executives’ Assistant serving both TSPN and TAADAS.

Vladimir previously served as TSPN’s Executive Assistant from 2002 to 2017, so he brings with him a wealth of historical knowledge about the earlier days of the agency. Vladimir also has extensive experience with NAMI Tennessee as Coordinator of Special Projects and a perennial member of its Vision of Hope Gala Committee.

Before rejoining TSPN, Vladimir worked as the Information Coordinator/Assistant to the CEO for You Have the Power (YHTP), a statewide nonprofit that assists crime victims and educates communities on risk reduction. His most recent project on behalf of YHTP involved the development, production, and hosting of a virtual Crime Survivors Roundtable as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

We look forward to working with Vladimir to coordinate tasks at the statewide level and in partnership with TAADAS.

The American Association of Suicidology has announced several upcoming trainings and webinars. Check out the details below!

Clinical Work with The Suicide Bereaved (CWSB) training

September 9

12 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST

Addressing the Back to School Struggle: Cultivating Care & Connectedness on Campus webinar

September 10

12 p.m to 1 p.m. EST

Crisis Response Planning workshop

September 30

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST

Registration is now open for the 2021 International Suicide Memorial Wall unveiling and Reading of the Names ceremony at TSPN’s office in Nashville. This event is free and will be held September 18 at 10 a.m.

The Wall was created as a real place to honor the memory of those who died by suicide. The memorial tiles on the wall were submitted by friends or family members from all over the world.

At least once a year since the wall began in 2006, the names of everyone remembered on the wall have been read out loud. Last year, due to the pandemic, the Reading of the Names was done via Zoom. This year, the names of over 800 people who died by suicide will be read out loud in person.

After the names have all been read, the wall will be unveiled for public viewing in its new location, where it is lovingly tended to by TSPN.

Please email Karyl Chastain-Beal at karylofcolumbia@cs.com with any questions about the event.

Click here to register.

UPCOMING TRAININGS, MEETINGS & EVENTS

August 16

Northwest Regional Meeting

Email eoswald@tspn.org for details

August 17

Memphis/Shelby County Regional Meeting

Email jjohnson@tspn.org for details

August 18

Southwest Regional Meeting

Email lcarr@tspn.org for details

August 19

East Regional Meeting

Email ehager@tspn.org for details

August 21

Zackary King Suicide Awareness Memorial Walk

Click here for details

August 26

Northeast Regional Meeting

Email tspn@tspn.org for details

August 26

Upper Cumberland Regional Meeting

Email manderson@tspn.org for details

September 1

East Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 2

Memphis/Shelby County Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 4

Crockett County Runway Show for Mental Health

Click here for details

September 4 - 18

Mid-Cumberland Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 8 - 9

TSPN Statewide Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 11

Mad Sam Suicide Prevention Awareness Walk

Click here for details

September 14

Upper Cumberland Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 17

Northwest Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 19

Northeast Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 20

Southeast Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 24

Southwest Regional Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

September 25

South Central Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Event

Click here for details

Knoxville: McNabb Center shares insights on how to help young people deal with trauma

Memphis: COVID-19 Grief Relief Support offering help to victims

Clarksville: Military family clinic at Centerstone opens doors for community art show

Tearful Noah Lyles speaks up about mental health at Olympics

One Man Travels 50 States to Spread Awareness on Veterans’ Suicide

WATCH: "My Life is Worth Living" Is the First Animated Series to Address Teen Suicide Prevention

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

Tennessee Together: International Overdose Awareness Day Events

RESOURCE

DOWNLOAD

Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Non-Crisis Helpline Flyer

2021 SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH SOCIAL MEDIA KIT

We have created shareable suicide prevention awareness content for every weekday in September! We'd love for you to share this content and tag us to raise suicide prevention awareness throughout September all across Tennessee.

Click here to access the 2021 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month social media kit. If you need to access the kit in a different format, email mtubbs@tspn.org.