Welcome to the March 2022 Office of Suicide Prevention newsletter!

Sandra Eisenberg, MSpEd, is originally from New York. She is a trained peer support specialist, writer, mental health advocate, community organizer, and has recently edited a book pertaining to sibling suicide loss. She is president of Postvention Alliance and currently teaches in District 51, Mesa County. Sandra is a writer of poetry, some of which is related to her experiences as a mental health patient. She has organized a reading dedicated to raising awareness about mental health at Lithic bookstore in Fruita, and has been asked to organize another of these events that will take place on a future date (TBD).

Thank you for all that you do, Sandra!

Do you have a Rockstar Partner in your community that you would like to see featured in our next newsletter? Nominate them here by completing our Rockstar Partner Nomination Form.

Suicide & Overdose Prevention Coordinator (Term Limited)

Our CNC partners in Montezuma county in partnership with Communities that Care, developed their Suicide Awareness For Everyone (SAFE) & CNC Annual Report, which highlights the county's suicide prevention efforts over the last year. Click the embedded link to read more about all of the amazing work that happened in Montezuma in 2021!

Colorado Attorney General Announces Support of Community Suicide Prevention and Response Plan: Attorney General Phil Weiser was in Colorado Springs to address the community regarding the high rates of suicide in El Paso County and announce his support of the Community Suicide Prevention and Response Plan. 

The Imagine Zero Coalition is hosting their Connect with Intention around Mental Health and Suicide Prevention event on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm MT. This in-person event is an interactive community conversation that will include a large group training, breakout sessions, and time for networking and collaboration between agencies and individuals. View the flyer here. 

The Colorado Suicide Prevention Commission had its first meeting of 2022 on January 28th, featuring a talk by Lina Vanegas, MSW, an adoptee rights advocate. A full recording of the meeting and additional resources referenced in the meeting can be found at the Commission’s public folder, here. For information on how to join the meeting, as well as for the Commission’s full 2022 schedule, please click here.

As part of the Recommendation to Support Spiritual Communitie, passed in January 2022, the Office of Suicide Prevention is proud to announce the launch of a new resource page compiled by the community members on the Spiritual Communities Workgroup. The Spiritual Communities Workgroup will be hosting a launch event around this resource for the National Weekend of Prayer for Faith, Hope, and Life, so please stay tuned for more updates! 

The Governor’s Challenge Workgroup meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month quarterly (February, May, August, November) from 10-11:30am. Our next meeting will take place May 11, 2022 from 10-11:30am. Please sign up here to learn more about this workgroup and to join the contact list. Please reach out to Alexander.Wamboldt@state.co.us with any questions.

The Office of Suicide Prevention has recently created an older adults workgroup, focusing on suicide prevention for adults, ages 65+. Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday April 6, 2022 from 9:00-10:00am. Please sign up here to learn more about this workgroup and to join the contact list. For more information, please reach out to Dymond.Ruybal@state.co.us. 

The Postvention Workgroup meets every other month, on the fourth Tuesday, from 2-3:30pm. Our next meeting will take place Tuesday, May 24th, 2022 from 2-3:30pm. Please sign up here to learn more about this workgroup and to join the contact list. Please reach out to Lena.Heilmann@state.co.us with any questions.

The Spiritual Communities Workgroup is currently on hiatus as we work to find a new Interfaith Organization commissioner (interested in being considered? Please let us know here!). In the meantime, please sign up here to learn more about this workgroup and to join the contact list. Please reach out to Alexander.Wamboldt@state.co.us with any questions.

The Youth-Specific Initiatives (YSI) Workgroup meets the third Thursday of every other month. Our next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 17, 2022 from 3:30-5pm. Please sign up here to learn more about this workgroup and to join the contact list. For more information, please reach out to Lena.Heilmann@state.co.us

Every month we hold an interactive online Learning Collaborative for health system leaders working in suicide prevention. Experts in health care-based suicide prevention, advocates who speak on their lived experience, and a diverse array of other guest speakers join health system leaders from across Colorado in discussing state of the art approaches to improving care and saving lives. The next collaborative will take place virtually on 3-24-22 from 10-11 am. To be contacted for the next collaborative, please email the OSP Zero Suicide Coordinator, Conlin at: Conlin.Bass@state.co.us.

The Office of Suicide Prevention will also be hosting another virtual Zero Suicide Academy on April 20th and 21st. The Zero Suicide Academy is a two-day training for senior leaders of health and behavioral health care organizations that seek to dramatically reduce suicides among patients in their care. Using the Zero Suicide framework, participants learn how to incorporate best and promising practices into their organizations and processes to improve care and safety for individuals at risk. Zero Suicide faculty provide both interactive presentations and small group sessions, collaborating with participants to develop organization-specific action plans. Please see this link for eligibility and registration info.

The Office of Suicide Prevention is pleased to announce that we will be hosting additional free, virtual CAMS trainings for Colorado providers on Tuesday April 26, 2022 and Thursday May 19th, 2022. Both trainings will be in an 8-hour, single-day, online format. Please feel free to register yourself, or share the below applications links with your partners. 

CAMS APPLICATION LINKS (select ONE)

1. Tuesday April 26th, 2022

2. Thursday May 19th, 2022

Please visit the Office of Suicide Prevention’s Training webpage for more information on CAMS, LivingWorks Start, and much more!

Please note: There is an "Upcoming Events" section at the end of the newsletter. If your browser clips this email, please be sure to click "View entire message" to access all of the content!

International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is March 31, 2022. TDOV celebrates transgender people and their contributions to society and raises awareness of the discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. Please join us in recognizing, honoring, and celebrating transgender and gender non-binary Coloradoans! 

In honor of the Transgender Day of Visibility, we’re sharing a short video by the poet, artist, and performer, Alok Vaid-Menon, about their lived experience with mental health challenges and discrimination, and what transgender representation means to them.

The New National Academies Report & The Importance Of Lgbtqi Data Inclusion: Factsheet

Why do Black Males Consider Suicide? A CAMS webinar with special guest Dr. Sean Joe.

Sources of Strength is excited to announce additional funding to support the implementation of the Sources of Strength mental health promotion and youth suicide prevention program for Colorado schools and communities! This funding is part of the Healthy Youth/Strong Colorado initiative in partnership with the Colorado Department of Law and UnitedHealth. In addition to providing opportunities to expand access to the Sources of Strength program for middle and high schools across Colorado, this funding will support the adoption and implementation of the Sources of Strength Elementary curriculum in Colorado schools. Application Deadline: April 15th. Acceptance Notice: May 1

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), in collaboration with suicide prevention researchers from the NIMH, brought together clinicians, researchers, survivors, federal partners and other stakeholders in community and clinical settings to create a Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention – a guide for pediatric health providers on how to implement suicide prevention in medical and community settings.

Older Adults and Opioid Overdose Death a webinar recording by Maryann Mason, PhD

Operation Veteran Strong is a platform and campaign that helps Veterans thrive post service. Whether a Veteran is 12 days, 12 months or 12 years back from deployment, Operation Veteran Strong is a useful tool for helping U.S. Veterans navigate civilian life and find purpose. They can find inspiring stories from other Veterans, get information on accessing benefits, take helpful self-assessments and connect with a wide range of free, practical and useful support services. With a free, confidential account Veterans can connect on their own terms with benefits, outdoor recreation events, employment, financial supports, Vet groups, VFWs and community resources.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Firearm Homicides and Suicides in Major Metropolitan Areas (the United States, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019) 

Firearm Responsibility And Planning: Creating a Firearm Life Plan. A proactive resource to help with planning as you age. 

Firearm Injury Prevention Training Course developed by the AAP is designed to help build health care practitioner counseling skills in firearm injury prevention. Study participants will be requested to complete 3 brief (5-10 minute) surveys: Pre-course survey, post-course survey, and one-month follow-up survey. Eligible participants will receive up to $30 in Amazon gift cards for completing the study. To learn more about the Safer Study, click here.

Our partners at Colorado Behavioral Health Council (CBHC) have released this great promotional video for Teen Mental Health First Aid. Feel free to watch, share, and spread the word!

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adults Over 18 (the United States, 2015-2019.

New Alcohol Outlet Density StoryMap: Explains how alcohol outlet density is measured, lists some considerations for interpreting alcohol outlet density in your area, and provides interactive maps for visualizing alcohol outlet density across Colorado. Find this StoryMap and more resources and data for preventing excessive alcohol use on the CDPHE Alcohol webpage.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness releases new tool to identify and access federal health and social service funding for people experiencing homelessness. Download the tool here.

Second Wind Fund is hiring for their Provider Engagement Manager position. For more information and to apply, please see the LinkedIn job posting here. 

Public Health Institute at Denver Health is looking for a Firearm Advocate to help with outreach for the Gun Shop Project. To Apply: Interested candidates should send a brief personal statement indicating their knowledge and experience relevant to the project. This should include: Personal firearm knowledge and experience; Existing relationships within the firearm community; Understanding of Firearm Suicide Prevention. Email applications to Sarah.Belstock@dhha.org 

Denver Health is hiring for an Injury Prevention Coordinator position. Apply here.  

Children's Hospital Colorado is hiring for an Injury Prevention Coordinator position. Apply here.

Colorado Public Health Association’s Culture of Data Virtual Conference: Thursday, April 7 from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm & Friday, April 8th, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Register here. 

Addressing the Intersectional Behavioral Health Needs of Racially/Ethnically Diverse LGBTQ+ Communities. Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm MT

Suicide Prevention in Indigenous Communities, Strength and Protective Factors. Friday, April 22, 2022, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm MT

Using Innovative Data Science Approaches to Identify Individuals, Populations and Communities at High Risk for Suicide. Thursday, April 28, 2022, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm MT 

Bridging the Divide. May 12-13, 2022 in Denver, CO. Registration now open.

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