Help, Heal, Hope: Suicide Prevention Week Conversations

During National Suicide Prevention Week (Monday-Friday, September 9-13 ), join SAVE Executive Director Erich Mische and Marketing and Communications Manager Josie Gereszek as we host an online livestream event. Help, Heal, Hope: Suicide Prevention Week Conversations will highlight the work of critical organizations and individuals in the suicide prevention space. These half-hour discussions will showcase what is being done to support mental health and suicide prevention efforts across the country.

Monday, September 9

• 10-10:30 am CST
  Jonathan Oppenheim
  SAVE board member, Head of Construction, Corporate Risk and Broking, North America, WTW
  The construction industry, mental health and suicide
• 11:30 am-noon CST
  Dr. Steve Lansing and Col. Wayne Quist
  Veterans Empowered, Inc.
  Veteran suicide prevention
• 2-2:30 pm CST
  Jaymes Black
  The Trevor Project
  Suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth
• 2:30-3 pm CST
  Deb Stone
  CDC
  Comprehensive suicide prevention and the national strategy
• 3:15-3:45 pm CST
  Kim Burditt
  Stop Soldier Suicide’s Black Box Project
  Survivors loan loved ones’ digital devices for data and behavior analysis, informing pre-suicidal models

Wednesday, September 11

• 10-10:30 am CST
  Rep. Kristin Bahner
  Minnesota House of Representatives
  Minnesota Kids Code
• 11:30 am-noon CST
  Monica Kramer McConkey, LPC
  Eyes on the Horizon
  Rural mental health and suicide
• 12:15-12:45 pm CST
  Dr. Lesli Preuss
  SAVE board member, Licensed clinical child and family psychologist
  Youth suicide and prevention
• 1-1:30 pm CST
  Verna Mikkelson
  Minnesota Department of Health, Suicide Prevention Unit
  988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and suicide prevention efforts: Grantees and community awareness, intervention and postvention training
• 2:30-3 pm CST
  Bob and Lynn Poferl
  Run with the Herd 5K, an event in memory of Tim Poferl
  Turning grief into hope and healing
• 3:15-3:45 pm CST
  Brett Smith
  Gardner Builders
  Suicide prevention and mental health in the construction industry
• 4-4:30 pm CST
  Kelly Felton
  Minnesota Department of Health Suicide Prevention Taskforce
  Statewide suicide prevention efforts
• 5-5:30 pm CST
  Nicki Reisberg
  Scrolling 2 Death podcast
  Highlighting the link between kids’ social media use and suicide as told through stories of loss and the human experience

Thursday, September 12

• 10-10:30 am CST
  Mike Erickson
  Metro North Grief Support Group
  The power of sharing your grief journey
• 10:45-11:15 am CST
  Phil and Kevin Kluesner
  SAVE board member and brother, children of two of SAVE’s co-founders
  Genesis of SAVE
• 11:30 am-noon CST
  Matty (ArtyomHavok) and Stijn (BeardedBogle)
  Save&Raid
  Awareness and prevention in online gaming/streaming communities
• 12:15-12:45 pm CST
  Amy Cheney
  Bloomington Cares
  The work of the Bloomington Cares team
• 1-1:30 pm CST
  Laura Stumvoll
  St. Cloud VA
  The VA and engagement to prevent suicide
• 1:45-2:15 pm CST
  Allison Ivie
  Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action
  Kids Online Safety Act advocacy
• 2:30pm-3:00pm CST
  Velvet Dostal
  Redwood Speedway
  RACE for Suicide Awareness
• 4-4:30 pm CST
  MJ Weiss
  Kayla’s HOPE
  Transforming loss into advocacy and inspiring change

Friday, September 13

• 9-9:30 am CST
  Collin Anderson
  Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal
  Kids Online Safety Act
• 10-10:30 am CST
  Zamaan Qureshi and Arielle Geismar
  Co-Chairs, Design It For Us
  Social media and tech policy
• 10:45-11:15 am CST
  Dorothy Harms
  Chairperson, Farmer Angel Network
  Rural mental health challenges
• 1-1:30 pm CST
  Brittani Senser and Autumn Lemieux
  The Green Bandana Project – A Program of SAVE
  Student mental health and the power of reaching out
• 2:30-3:30 pm CST
  Erich Mische, Jen Owens, Brittani Senser, Margaret Fondell,
  Josie Gereszek and Autumn Lemieux
  SAVE
  Who’s working to fulfill SAVE’s mission pillars: Advocacy, Training, Education and Support for loss survivors
• 3:45-4:15 pm CST
  Keeri Tramm
  Director of Disability Initiatives, Lifeworks Services, Inc.
  Training and community conversations
• 4:30-5 pm CST
  Wendy Farmer
  Vibrant Emotional Health
  Community programming, crisis lines, advocacy and education efforts