York Town News
Suicide prevention conference draws a crowd
PORTLAND - Approximately 300 Maine professionals attended the third annual conference of the Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program (MYSPP) at the Sheraton Hotel on Wednesday, April 4."Beyond the Basics of Suicide Prevention III" featured several national experts and several experienced Maine speakers in topics related to suicide prevention and self-injury. The conference format included two large group sessions, four three-hour tracks and six 90-minute workshops.
"Bringing well-known national speakers to Maine provides useful knowledge and resources to participants who are often confronted with challenging situations," said Cheryl DiCara, coordinator of Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program. "This conference is a great way for school and agency staff to get excellent information and resources on a complicated and difficult topic."
Three nationally known speakers shared their expertise.
Bev Cobain delivered the morning keynote and conducted two workshops - one for survivors of suicide and one about adolescent depression. She is a survivor of three family suicides, including her cousin, Kurt Cobain. She has written two books, "When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens" and "Dying to Be Free: A Healing Guide for Families after a Suicide."
Dr. Shawn C. Shea delivered the lunch keynote based on his book "Happiness Is: Unexpected Answers to Practical Questions in Curious Times." He also presented a workshop on eliciting suicidal ideation for mental health clinicians and social workers. Shea is the author of "The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals and Substance Abuse Counselors" and "Psychiatric Interviewing: The Art of Understanding," which are considered classics in the field.
Dr. Barent Walsh, executive director of The Bridge of Worcester, Mass., conducted a workshop based on his 2006 book "Treating Self-Injury." Walsh's session drew 90 people and was the most requested of the conference.
Other topics discussed at the conference were bullying and harassment prevention, protocol development, Maine resources, co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions, a panel discussing the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth, and a new curriculum focusing on the needs of adolescent boys.
The Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program, a program of the Governor's Children's Cabinet and led by staff of the Department of Health and Human Services' Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides training, educational resources, consultation and guidelines to many individuals, schools and communities across the state. This conference, the third annual conference, was developed to meet demands for additional and more in-depth coverage of pertinent topics.
"Suicide is a serious health issue in Maine which claims an average of 158 Maine lives, including 23 youth suicides each year," DiCara said. "Conferences like these provide attendees with expert information and resources to help them identify those who may be at risk and to help us to reduce the suicide rate in Maine."
Conference co-sponsors were the Maine Department of Labor, AdCare Educational Institute, and Medical Care Development. Several exhibitors were on hand to provide useful resources to attendees. Exhibitors included the Office of Substance Abuse Information Resource Center, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Maine, the Maine Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Maine Mentoring Program and the Portland Identification and Early Referral (PIER) Program.
For more information about suicide prevention, call the DHHS Office of Substance Abuse Information Resource Center toll-free at (800) 499-0027 or visit the program website at www.mainesuicideprevention.org.
There is a statewide crisis hotline for anyone in immediate need of crisis services is (888) 568-1112.
