Hope Illuminated Podcast: Helping the Helpers Bring Light to Life’s Darkest Moments

Very often in the world of suicide prevention we fall — as Frank Campbell says — into the “canyon of why.” Why did they take their life? Why didn’t they tell someone? Why, why, why. We often over look that question “how”. On this podcast a panel of our nation’s leaders on reducing access to lethal means tell us why the “means matter” in suicide prevention. They share innovative and effective collaborative strategies that help non-clinical people negotiate how to keep their homes safer from the tragedy of suicide. These strategies are based in a public-health approach and evolving partnerships with firearm owners, retailers and advocates. At the core of their success is a process of building bridges through mutual respect and shared values.

About the Presenters
Catherine Barber, MPA
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Catherine Barber is a senior researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Injury Research Center where she led the effort to design and test the pilot for what is now the CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System. She is the founding director of Means Matter, a project to disseminate research and interventions on reducing a suicidal person’s access to highly lethal suicide methods. Recent work focuses on collaborating with gun owner groups on suicide prevention projects. In this area, she wrote a suicide prevention module used by over 1,000 firearm instructors nationwide, was one of the founders of the first Gun Shop Project, co-authored the original CALM-Online training, and co-PI'd a large clinical trial of lethal means counseling in the emergency department. She is the recipient of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Allies in Action Lifetime Achievement Award.

Elaine Frank, MHS
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Elaine Frank is an Injury Prevention and Public Health professional who has focused her work for the past ten years at the intersection of Firearm Safety and Suicide Prevention. She is the co-developer of CALM – Counseling on Access to Lethal Means – and the Co-chair of the NH Firearm Safety Coalition that created the Gun Shop Project and other efforts to engage the firearm community in preventing suicide. Ms. Frank earned a Master of Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health where she learned how and why to collaborate in order to address complex issues.

Shelby Kuhn, MSW, LCSW, SAC
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Shelby Kuhn, MSW, LCSW, SAC, is a senior project associate with the Zero Suicide Institute, focusing on the implementation of suicide-specific care in health and behavioral health settings. In this role, she delivers training and consultation to improve care and outcomes for individuals at risk for suicide and extends Zero Suicide practice across diverse settings.

Kuhn holds a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed a postgraduate fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center, a department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, receiving specialized training in clinical practice with children and families. She has more than 10 years’ experience in direct clinical practice and program management working with high-risk behavioral health populations

The workplace is arguably the most cross-cutting system in suicide prevention. Just about everyone who dies by suicide or attempts suicide was working, was recently working, or has a close friend or family member who is working. Thus, just like we promote CPR training at our job sites to save lives, we should also consider on-going, skill developing suicide prevention training programs. In this presentation I interview Gabriela Malafaia, a leader in People’s Management in the oil and gas industry. We discuss the many reasons why workplace suicide prevention training is the right thing to do and list several best practices to leverage a tiered approach. Sharing a number of case studies, we conclude that successful training initiatives not only improve the confidence and competence of a workforce dedicated to making suicide prevention a health and safety priority, impactful training actually helps drive a caring culture.

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About Gabriela Malafaia
Gabriela Malafaia is a psychologist who has been working in the oil and gas industry for the past 9 years. Her main field of activity is workers health, especially focused in mental health in the workplace. She has a postgraduate degree in an expert in Workers’ Health (UFF, Brazil) and she is a mental health advocate with great expertise in employee assistance programs, workplace training, organizational psychology, mental health promotion and suicide prevention, intervention and postvention activities. For more information on this episode go to sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/65

Suicide Prevention from a Social Justice Perspective
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A new social movement is emerging, and it’s gaining momentum: it’s time we position suicide prevention as a social justice issue. If we only view suicide through the mental health lens, we will be very limited in our ability to create systematic change. When we look at suicide prevention through this lens, the change agents are the mental health service providers, who work with individuals – at least those who make it into their services; one-on-one, one at a time.

In order to take a more “upstream” approach to this, we need to think more broadly and conceptualize suicide prevention as a public health issue. When we view suicide through this lens, we can plainly see that many systems are involved in creating change – schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, justice, faith communities and more. Everyone can play a role in suicide prevention. But, I would argue, even this perspective falls short. Because if you haven’t been touched by suicide directly, you are usually unaware of its widespread and devastating impact and therefore, less inclined to allocate your energy toward targeting this particular health issue over others.

When we take a human rights perspective we consider new aspects of psycho-social injustice we need to fight against? For one, we have a grave imbalance in the way we treat mental health conditions and the way we treat other physical disorders. Because of this imbalance, people with mental health conditions often have a terrible time accessing adequate care. There are too few mental health treatment options and most of them are too costly for the average person. As my colleague Dr. Doug Johnson once said to me, “We have a psycho-social injustice problem. We have Americanized mental illness – by looking for quick fixes and ignoring the emotional impact of marginalization.”

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In this episode, Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren and I talk about a human rights approach to mental health promotion. She shares her insights from the bench of the Mental Health Court she oversees. Come take a listen to her story of her journey as she worked to develop a dignified, trauma-informed and humanistic approach for people who have been criminalized due to their serious mental health condition.

About Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren
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Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren was elected Broward County Court Judge in 1997. Judge Lerner-Wren pioneered the first problem solving Mental Health Court in the United States, dedicated to the decriminalization and treatment of persons arrested with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. The Court is a national and international model. Judge Lerner-Wren speaks nationally and internationally and is an adjunct Professor for Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology and Neuroscience. Judge Lerner-Wren is also an author, A Court of Refuge: Stories from the Bench of America's First Mental Health Court. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/64

Overview
Mass incarceration, police brutality, and systemic racism are just some of the trauma and injustice many Black men face every day. In this podcast I have a difficult conversation during a heavy time with former NFL player Dwight Hollier about his story of living through tough times, how many benefit from the positive psychology of sport, and the four pillars of strength needed for total wellness.

About Dwight Hollier
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Dwight Hollier played as an NFL linebacker for eight years for the Miami Dolphins and one year for the Indiana Colts. After he retired he earned a counseling degree (LPC) and served as the VP for Wellness and Clinical Services for the NFL supporting player engagement and total wellness. Today he is the Senior Associate Athletic Director for the University of North Carolina overseeing student athlete health and well-being. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/63

There are many stories we tell that hold men back from living their best lives. Here are a few that create barriers for men to reach out when they are distressed (Solomon):

“No sissy stuff” — in other words, if it is what women do, then it’s not for “real men.”

“Be a big wheel” — you are what you do for a living; achievement and your paycheck define your worth.

“Sturdy oak” — you are the one people lean on for help; you don’t lean on others.

“Give ‘em hell” — when all else fails, come out swinging; better to intimidate than to look weak.

In this episode, I speak with the internationally acclaimed “fact checking” journalist Josh Levs who has been busting myths about fatherhood for years. We examine the faulty scripts, how they contribute to the suffering of families, and we challenge listeners to adopt a new mindset on developing an “All In Life.”

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About Josh Levs
Josh Levs is a dad to three children.

He is also a truth seeker, an entrepreneur, a business consultant, and a former CNN and NPR journalist. He won six Peabody Awards and the designation of “Journalist of the Year” from the Atlanta Press Club.

He’s best known for his unstoppable advocacy and activism for gender equality. His book “All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses—And How We Can Fix It Together” won the Nautilus Gold award, and the United Nations named him a Global Champion of Gender Equality.

He took legal action against Time Warner (CNN’s parent company) for fair parental leave after his daughter was born prematurely. Subsequently, Time Warner stepped up, radically changed its policy and blazed a path for other companies large and small to do the same. for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/62

Ambiguity is tolerated by some better than others. Small experiences of uncertainty can be exhilarating and bring us the joy of surprise. Large and prolonged periods of uncertainty can cause debilitating anxiety, leaving people paralyzed. In this interview, Hugh Ingalls and I discuss nine tactics people can use when living in uncertainty to help stay present and reduce anxiety:

Draw a circle. Draw a second circle inside the first circle. Write down the things you can control in the inner circle and things you can’t control in the outer circle. Keep your focus on what you can control.

Ask yourself an empowering question (e.g., “How can I do this right?”) and let the brain do its job.

Put yourself in the mindset of contribution (rather than competition).

Name it and tame it. Recognize the areas of stress, acknowledge them and thank them for what they are teaching you.

Break free from the negative voices in your head by choosing to direct your attention by anchor in your body (e.g., notice the energy in your hand).

Smile, improve your posture, and — if you can — dance! Raise your hands quickly above your head to shoot your anxiety out the top. These things are incompatible with anxiety.

Imagine yourself “flipping the switch” to let go of the outcome and embrace the challenge of uncertainty.

Put a rubber band around your wrist, when you go into anxious thoughts, snap the rubber band and come back to the present.

Focus your mind on life design.

About Hugh Ingalls
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Hugh S. Ingalls is a high-energy connector of people and ideas. Co-founder and co-owner, with his brother Ned, of the film & video production company Ingalls Pictures in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which has developed a series of films on mental health. Serves part-time as the Business Development Manager of Pressure Free Living, a comprehensive performance coaching program that reduces stress, anger, and anxiety both live and online. Currently he is also a public servant with the City of Grand Rapids, MI as Chair of the Mayor's Next Gen Advisory Board and co-host of the podcast, Living at 100! For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/61

About Dr. Nathaan Demers
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Nathaan is passionate about people. This passion has led him to an enriching career as a clinical psychologist, filled with a number of twists and turns working across a variety of settings. Nathaan is an active traveler and athlete - these aspects of his life have inspired him to think beyond the traditional confines of mental health care. He strives to find innovative ways to expand the reach of mental health services to improve the lives of others. While Nathaan is fascinated by all areas of psychology, his passion lies within the positive psychology movement working specifically in preventative behavioral health. You can tell he has grit because he's always ready for an adventure. It might be starting a spur of the moment soccer game in the office, striking up a meaningful conversation with a stranger in the elevator, or leading a backpacking trip; regardless, there's rarely an adventure he turns down. Nathaan is continually inspired by his wife, son, family and friends. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/60

Why Predictability, Control, and Safety Matter in Crisis Management
The hallmarks of a traumatic experience are Unpredictability, Powerlessness and Threat. As leaders, the way that we can best assist our team is to help create the opposite of those things which is Predictability, Safety and Control.

Predictability - inform your staff of what to expect as much as possible. For example, what time communications will occur, advanced notice for meetings etc.

Safety - making sure that work environments are safe physically is important but also staff being able to trust that they will not be humiliated or embarrassed if they make a mistake is equally as essential to a safe workplace.

Control - whenever possible, give staff choices. For example, give them options about breaks, scheduling and tasks.

Safety, Predictability and Control are the antidotes for Unpredictability, Powerlessness and Threat.

In this interview I speak with crisis response expert Bob VandePol on crisis leadership. We explore the questions of how do leaders embody resilience during trauma? How can leaders sustain a group commitment to a mission greater than the individual? How can leaders cultivate trust and social support when things feel out of control? How do we develop a resilience plan that transitions people to grow through crisis?

About Bob VandePol
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Bob VandePol serves as Executive Director of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services’ Employee Assistance Program where he leverages behavioral health expertise to support healthy, productive people and groups. Prior to joining the Pine Rest team, he was President of Crisis Care Network, helping to lead it from a startup to the world’s largest provider of Critical Incident Response services to the workplace. He managed CCN’s Command Center in Manhattan after the 2001 terrorist attacks and led teams in response to high-profile tragedies including the Boston Marathon bombing; Aurora, Sandy Hook, and Las Vegas shootings; natural disasters, and our nation’s prominent university-based tragedies. He frequently consults with businesses, universities, schools, and churches regarding how leaders can accelerate organizational recovery following crises.

When we are in crisis we find ourselves constantly drained by the urgent and important things in our life that demand our attention. Should we get a moment of reprieve, we often succumb to the desire to escape by engaging in something that numbs us out. In this podcast we talk about making time for spiritual wellness during difficult times. My guest, suicide prevention specialist and community trauma responder Sarah Gaer, gives us some concrete ideas on how we can tend to our souls when our world seems like it’s falling down around us.

What are your practices for soul care?

For some, soul care activities are connected to religions, faith practices or faith communities. For others, being in awe while in nature or immersed in the arts helps their souls heal. Still, for others soul care takes the form of social justice or intentional acts of kindness and community engagement for the common good.

About Sarah Gaer
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Sarah Gaer is a suicide loss survivor and a Master's Level Clinician with twenty years’ experience in the field of mental health care. Since 2012, she has worked as a Suicide Prevention Specialist focused on men in the middle years and first responders with Riverside Trauma Center based in Needham, MA. She has trained hundreds of first responders in trauma and suicide prevention in Massachusetts and is a QPR (Question, Persuade & Refer) Master Trainer for the QPR Institute. Sarah is also member of the Riverside Trauma Center trauma team and has responded to suicides, homicides, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks throughout Massachusetts. Sarah is currently co-chair of the Pioneer Valley Coalition for Suicide Prevention and sits on the Executive Committee for the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention as well as United Suicide Survivors International. She has also authored a number of books including The Price, Goodnight Grace and Guts, Grit & The Grind. To learn more visit https://sarahgaer.com/.

for more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/58

Overview
What are the steps leaders need to take in cultivating a mindset of psychological well-being and a caring community? In this podcast, Cal Beyer and I analyze the steps many leaders have taken to make suicide prevention and mental health promotion health and safety priorities at work.


About Cal Beyer
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Cal is Vice President of Workforce Risk and Mental Wellbeing at Cobb Strecker Dunphy Zimmerman (CSDZ). For 100 years, CSDZ has specialized in construction insurance, surety and risk management. CSDZ, along with parent company Holmes Murphy & Associates, serve construction clients nationally with 16 offices in 11 states. Prior to joining CSDZ, Cal was the director of risk management for Lakeside Industries in Issaquah, WA.

Cal has 30 years of work experience. He is a past National Secretary for the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). It was Cal’s leadership that led to the formation of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Engineering News-Record magazine, the global voice of construction industry, named Cal a Top 25 Newsmaker for 2016 for his work launching suicide prevention in the construction. He is currently serving as the “peer editor” for a third annual series of articles for Construction Executive magazine on mental health, suicide prevention, addiction recovery and wellbeing.

For more information on this and every episode go to sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/57