Suicide Prevention Webinar Series

Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is preventable. Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can save lives. We have built a learning community around suicide prevention and brought together experts for our Suicide Prevention Webinar series. Below you'll find our most recent series, but you can also view all videos here.

This series is brought to you by the Sammamish Community Y Advisory Board.

Questions Contact Melinda at mburns@seattleymca.org

Watch Past Suicide Prevention Webinars

Stopping the Downward Spiral of Suicidal Behavior 

Join us to hear Dr. James Mazza speak about the downward spiral that leads to depression, anxiety, and strong emotional pain that many people experience who are suicidal. He will discuss the two leading theories regarding suicidal behavior and highlight behavioral skills to help combat some of the major components of the theories.”

Trainer: Dr. James J. Mazza is a professor at the University of Washington in the College of Education’s School Psychology Program where he has been teaching and conducting research over the past 25 years in the field of adolescent mental health. Jim is a past president of the American Association of Suicidology from 2005-2007 and has been a suicidologist for the past 28 years. Dr. Mazza’s research focuses particularly on adolescent internalizing disorders, such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, exposure to violence, and suicidal behavior. 

Understanding Grief After Suicide 

Training learning objectives: 

• Understand suicide grief and how it is similar and different to other types of grief.
• Describe the physical, mental, and emotional components of suicide grief.
• Understand the unique needs of someone experiencing suicide grief and how to best support them.
• Explore healing strategies for living with suicide grief.

Trainers:

Charlene Ray, MSW is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and has been in practice as a therapist, mentor, and workshop facilitator for 35 years. She works for Forefront Suicide Prevention as a coach and trainer. Charlene studied mindful self-compassion, nature based therapies, rites of passage, suicide prevention, grief and loss therapy, and blends all of the traditions and techniques, with her intuitive work, to create an individualized and powerful experience for each client and program she facilitates. 

Marny Lombard began working with Forefront Suicide Prevention after losing her son, 22, to suicide in 2013. She was fortunate to find a remarkable suicide loss survivors support group and credits it with giving her access to hope and empowerment. Marny developed a parents’ guide for supporting college students who experience mental health concerns and suicidal thinking. Today, she does training and communications work for Forefront.

 LEARN Forefront Suicide Crisis Prevention Training

Trainer: Harry Brown, MA, LMFT is Licensed Marriage and Family therapist with over 25 years of experience in working with youth and families. As a school-based clinician, he utilizes mental health prevention programming including: WEB, Sources of Strength, Second Step, Signs of Suicide and DBT Skills: Steps-A. Harry views school based mental health services as an essential early intervention tool. He is committed to reducing the stigma of mental health treatment, increasing access to support services, and providing opportunities to build resilience.

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What Causes Depression & Anxiety? 

Learn about the biological, social, and psychological determinants of depression and anxiety. This presentation outlines the contributing factors that can lead to a diagnosis and treatment.   

Webinar Presenter: Dr. Albert Tsai, MD specializes in Psychiatry at Overlake Medical Center & Clinics and is an attending physician at the Overlake Adult Day Hospital program. Dr. Tsai attended medical school at Boston University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He is board certified with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Stigmas and Misconceptions of Suicide

This webinar will address stigmas, misconceptions of suicide, the public perception of mental illness, the complexity of suicide, who is susceptible to depression and suicide and destigmatize and prevent suicide.

Presenter: Ace Bulger, Washington State Health Care Authority, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, Children, Youth and Family Team, System of Care Grant Director. For over 25 years, Ace worked in education as a principal, assistant principal, athletic director, head football coach and teacher at the secondary and collegiate levels. As a coach working with school districts his training was for teachers and administrators on how to deliver powerful teaching and learning. That focus changed in 2012 when his daughter, Alicia, died by suicide. Since 2012 Ace has become passionate about coaching for mental well-being and suicide prevention. He served on legislative committees for preventing suicide and was actively involved with the Department of Health, The National Alliance of Mental Health, Forefront and other agencies promoting mental health and suicide prevention. Read Ace's full Bio

Embracing Adversity: Supporting the Development of Health Coping Strategies

Our youth are often engaged and invested in structures that run counter to the development of resilience. Many young people are discovering they lack the flexibility and malleability they need to manage adversity and turn to maladaptive and sometimes dangerous methods of coping.   
 
Resilience is the ability to achieve in the face of adversity; to bend, rather than break. In this workshop, we will explore how young people can become more resilient and pinpoint some of obstacles that get in their way. Together we will explore how to better foster confidence and a sense of internal worth in our youth through community connection and opportunities to make gracious contributions. For more information about Influence the Choice visit their website.

Presenter: Jerry Blackburn is the Executive Director of the Influence the Choice Community Coalition as well as an adjunct faculty member in the Substance Use Disorder Counseling Education Program at Bellevue College.  In addition to his work, Jerry currently serves as a board member for The Garage, the Issaquah Teen Café, ParentWiser the PTSA Council Education Committee and the Greater Issaquah Equity & Inclusion Group. In 2005 he was honored by the Washington State Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse with the Richard Rivera Passionate Youth Professional Award and in 2017 the Issaquah Schools Foundation presented him with the Golden Apple Award in appreciation for his dedication to the health of young people.