The monthly newsletter of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network

Hi everyone! We hope you all are enjoying this hot Tennessee summer. Our staff has been doing a lot of self-care this summer-- taking trips, visiting famiy & friends, and doing fun activities to rest and recharge. When is the last time you took some time for you? We strive to model good self-care practice so that we can continue to provide our services across the state. We hope all of you can find some time this summer to take a break and feel rejuvenated. We also recognize that this month is Minority Mental Health Month! Check out the link to a searchable resource guide for Black & Indigenous Communities further down in this month's newsletter. -Misty

In this issue Statewide September event save the date First Responder Conference highlight Upcoming summer events  and more!

TSPN staff & volunteers out & about this summer

Memphis/Shelby County Region represented at the Millington Chamber of Commerce

Northwest Region represented at Henry County Medical Center

Southeast Region represented at the Chattanooga Family Justice Center

The Southwest Region held a Resource Kit Packing Day in June. More than 50 community kits were made, along with 30 kits specific to Veterans. A huge thanks goes to volunteers Tyler Carr, Emily Lunn, Tamara Gray, Kay Montgomery, and John Dixon for helping put them together, as well as a big thanks to volunteers Keesha Nathaniel and Amy Bechtol for helping distribute them in the community.

TSPN has had the privilege of participating in several events kicking off the Jason Foundation's "TN Won't Be Silent" suicide prevention campaign throughout the year so far across the state. We are thrilled to be a part of this campaign with so many excellent mental health and suicide prevention organizations! Pictured above is Southeast Regional Director Chris Edwards at the Chattanooga campaign event.

SAVE THE DATE! Our statewide Suicide Prevention Awareness Month event will be held September 7 & 8. We are thrilled to announce that leadership from SAMHSA, the Henry Ford Health System (home of the Zero Suicide Initiative), and more will be featured speakers this year. We're also very excited to welcome back John Midgley, the Mental Health Magician, for the third year in a row. Mark your calendars! Link to register & more details to come.

"7 Ways to Sunday" showing in Nashville Friends in the Nashville area will have the chance to attend a showing of "7 Ways to Sunday," a unique original musical. This musical was created in collaboration with TSPN in 2015, and we have provided continued guidance for this year's run of the show. Additionally, TSPN staff trained the show's cast & crew in suicide prevention in early July. "7 Ways to Sunday" features song & dance numbers, magical realism, pop culture references, and other fun aspects; at the same time, the show also does an incredible job of exploring depression, suicide, identity, and other important issues for young people in a deep, meaningful way. We are thrilled to partner again with The Theater Bug to present "7 Ways to Sunday." For more information on the show or to purchase tickets, click here.

Registration is now open for "Answering the Call," TSPN's First Responder Suicide Prevention Task Force statewide conference on October 24 & 25. From First Responder Task Force Co-Chair Mary Anne Christian:

‘Answering the Call’ will begin with internationally renowned speaker Marc Junkerman. Marc has been advocating for mental health and wellness within public safety and public service arenas throughout his career. He uses his knowledge, humor, and wit to bring a powerful message of resiliency and hope for all first responders. The conference will also have breakout sessions, an evening reception, and opportunities for first responders to meet other first responders. This is the only conference in Tennessee where first responders from all agencies have the opportunity to converge and learn how they can ‘Answer the Call’ for their brothers and sisters.

Click here to register! "Answering the Call" will begin at 12 noon on October 24th and end at 12 noon on October 25th at the Drury Inn in Franklin. For sponsorship or request for proposal info, email Mary Anne at mchristian@tspn.org.

UPCOMING TRAININGS, MEETINGS & EVENTS

July 18 Northwest Regional Meeting Email eoswald@tspn.org for details July 19 Memphis/Shelby County Regional Meeting Email jjohnson@tspn.org for details July 20 Southwest Regional Meeting Email lcarr@tspn.org for details July 21 East Regional Meeting Email ehager@tspn.org for details July 22 Good Grief: Coping with Loss webinar Email joan_jenkins@bcbst.com for details July 28 Upper Cumberland Regional Meeting Email manderson@tspn.org for details July 28 Northeast Regional Meeting Email ksharpe@tspn.org for details

July 30 Northwest Region "Hope & a Haircut" community event Email eoswald@tspn.org for details

August 4 Southeast Regional Meeting Email cedwards@tspn.org for details August 10 South Central Regional Meeting Email mchristian@tspn.org for details August 11 Mid-Cumberland Regional Meeting Email tspn@tspn.org for details 

Virtual QPR series for healthcare professionals Email mhauck@tspn.org for details July 26 or August 23 

Summer training series Email tspn@tspn.org for details Youth Mental Health First Aid: This training equips adults with the knowledge and skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness, identify when a young person might be experiencing a mental health crisis, and equip those adults to intervene until the appropriate help is available. July 26 or August 12 in Springfield

August 2 - 17 Mental Health Parity Workshop series (in-person & virtual) through the Tennessee Parity Project Click here for details 

August 23 Suicide Prevention in the African-American Faith Communities Coalition Biennial Conference (Virtual) Click here for details 

Remember 988: Three digits rolling out to get people to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline This Chattanooga therapist's viral TikTok account is helping address mental health Use the F-U-E-L Framework to Do a Quick Mental Health Checkup Superhero comic Spark shows how the book genre can help teenagers discuss mental health

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT To Write Love On Her Arms: Mental Health Resources for Black & Indigenous Communities

via @selfcarespotlight on Instagram 

We would like to recognize the following donors & sponsors for their generous contributions toward suicide prevention in Tennessee

Candida Harness Hodges Jeremiah Walker Tommy Bugg Barton Galloway Cato Bass Ircel Harrison Jackson-Madison Prevention Coalition Lane College National Association of Social Workers - Tennessee Chapter Freed-Hardeman University Office of Graduate Studies West Tennessee Healthcare Pathways

Lachlan Fraser Thomson 

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