September 1, 2022

Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. It is a month dedicated to learning about how suicide can be prevented, steps we can take to help, and resources that can be useful for learning more and finding support. Suicide is often misunderstood, so raising awareness can help shift public perception, reduce stigma, and encourage hope.

A light blue and purple ribbon is on the left; on the right is text that reads "September Suicide Prevention Month."

Suicide Prevention Events

Suicide in America's Heartland

Learn about the growing problem of suicide in America's rural communities. Participants will learn about the risk and protective factors that contribute to suicide rates in rural communities and identify effective suicide prevention approaches. Hosted by the Mountain Plains MHTTC.

September 7 | 2:00-3:00PM CT | Register

Addressing Suicide from the Person-in-Environment and Social Justice Perspectives

In this program, participants will learn how person-in-environment and social justice issues intersect with and help inform our work with suicide. Person in environment will be described as the context in which each case is embedded. Context includes the many interrelated eco-bio-psych-social-spiritual factors that every case contains. The presentation will also look at how social justice issues are related with suicidal ideation and actions. Hosted by SMI Advisor.

September 9 | 12:00 - 1:00PM CT | Learn More

Suicidal Awareness, Response, Safety Planning, and Postvention Learning Series

This 3-part training series focuses on identifying common risk and protective factors for students at risk of suicide, identify warning signs, responding to youth in crisis, and conducting safety planning.

Session 1: September 12 | 12:00-1:00PM CT | Learn More

Session 2: September 19 | 12:00-1:00PM CT| Learn More

Session 3: September 26 | 12:00-1:00PM CT | Learn More

Shelby Rowe – Suicide Prevention in Indigenous People

In this webinar, Shelby Rowe will intertwine music, art, and humor to address the serious issues that have increased the risk of suicide among American Indians. Issues discussed will include genocide, colonization, and the ongoing systemic oppression of Indigenous people in the United States. Shelby will challenge the audience to once and for all abandon the policy of "Kill the Indian, Save the Man," and discuss how embracing Indigenous culture and wisdom could be a key to strengthening mental well-being and reducing suicide risk. Hosted by Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

September 30 | 1:30–3:00PM CT | Learn More

Suicide Prevention Resources

Suicide Prevention Month: Ideas for Action by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center

This two-page resource offers information to help anyone, anywhere get involved in Suicide Prevention Month in September. It includes tips on how to take action to help prevent suicide in your community, such as learning about effective suicide prevention, sharing stories of hope, and empowering everyone to be there for those in distress.

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Zero Suicide Toolkit

Zero Suicide is an aspirational goal and a framework to prevent suicide in health care settings. The toolkit is a detailed guide to implementation and strategy, providing practical tools to promote system change.

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South Southwest MHTTC Suicide Prevention Resource Booklet

This resource booklet has many different resources for suicide prevention, including sections for crisis, learning about suicide and how to help yourself or a friend, finding a therapist, apps and interactive tools for keeping yourself safe, as well as resources for clinicians.

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National Recovery Month

September is a month-long national observance that honors Recovery. This awareness month aims to celebrate people in recovery from substance use and mental health disorders and to provide hope for those who are struggling.

Recovery Month Resources

Addiction Technology Transfer Center

The ATTC Network, our sister network, is an international, multidisciplinary resource for professionals in the addictions treatment and recovery services field.

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A Proclamation on Overdose Awareness Week, 2022

President Biden addresses the opioid and overdose epidemic in America.

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Faces and Voices of Recovery

This organization has resources, opportunities to get involved, services, technical trainings, and more for people in recovery and those serving people in recovery.

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Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAAP) Annual Conference

The TAAP is hosting their 48th Annual State Conference on Addiction studies. This year's theme is the Roaring Twenties: 1920s through 2020s "Addiction through the Ages." The event will take place September 7-10, 2022 and will hold a special "Peer Day" on the last day of the conference.

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Highlights

SAMHSA Listening Sessions

Your feedback is important! SAMHSA is seeking participants for a series of Listening Sessions to gather feedback about the Technology Transfer Centers (TTC) program. There will be a number of categories of Listening Session groups, including national behavioral health leaders and dissemination and implementation science experts, persons with lived experience and states/territories/tribes, and behavioral health providers. Please register!

Check out the New Training Opportunity!

July 2022 National American School Counselor Association Conference

The South Southwest MHTTC and the MHTTC National Coordinating Office (NCO) hosted a booth at the July 2022 National American School Counselor Association Conference held in Austin, Texas. Natalie and Ricky shared information about the MHTTC regional centers, including upcoming training opportunities and the new Classroom WISE module Cultural Inclusiveness and Equity WISE with professional school counselors from across the United States.

Upcoming Events

First Episode Psychosis Peer Specialist and Family Partner Monthly Networking Meetings

Join us for this opportunity to collaborate with other First Episode Psychosis and Coordinated Specialty Care team Peer Supports and Family Partners in a supportive, mentoring environment.

September 2 | 9:00AM CT | Learn More

October 7 | 9:00AM CT | Learn More

First Episode Psychosis Monthly Mentor Call

The First Episode Psychosis (FEP) monthly mentor call hosted by the South Southwest MHTTC provides technical assistance and an open discussion platform for mental health workers offering services for FEP and clinical high risk populations.

September 8 | 11:00AM - 12:00PM CT | Learn More

October 13 | 11:00AM - 12:00PM CT | Learn More

Preventing Suicide Among LGBTQ+ People

This webinar will provide an overview of the critical risk and protective factors, considerations for risk assessment, and intervention strategies specific to LGBTQ+ people.

September 22 | 1:00PM - 2:00PM CT | Learn More

Products

Recurrence of Substance Use and Peer Certification Boards' Rights and Responsibilities

The South Southwest MHTTC hosted Lyn Legere, MS, who presented during our Peer Support Advisory Committee for Region 6 on substance use recurrence and both the rights and responsibilities of Peer Certification Boards. This presentation focused on helping to clarify roles when supporting the peer workforce following a recurrence of substance use.

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Making A Difference

Dr. Molly Lopez enjoys the challenges of large-scale change.

Molly Lopez is a Research Associate Professor with the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin and one of the co-directors for the South Southwest MHTTC. Dr. Lopez, a clinical psychologist, spent the first decade of her career at the state mental health authority in Texas. She has focused her work on supporting the implementation of mental health best practices through training, policy, funding, research and evaluation.

With a passion for eliminating deaths by suicide, Dr. Lopez has partnered closely with state and local agencies in a 10-year effort to implement suicide prevention best practices in public mental health and is excited to be expanding this work more recently to school settings.

We want to showcase the incredible people of Region 6! If you or someone you know is Making a Difference in our region, please send us an email at southsouthwest@mhttcnetwork.org for a chance to be featured in our next newsletter!