Resilient Factors

Guest Blog by Ashley Herbst

          A famous band once crooned, “Who told you life wasn’t worth the fight? Only G-d knows what went wrong, and why you’d leave the stage in the middle of a song” (Rascal Flatts, 2009). According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), in 2012 suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 18 years old; yet, what most don’t recognize is that the number of deaths by suicide for incarcerated youth is three times this number (21.9 per 10,000), making it the leading cause of death for detained youth. The tragedy among juvenile detention centers and residential treatment facilities is not only that suicide is the leading cause of death amongst the youth, but also that many of these facilities are not implementing or utilizing best practices or effective and evidence-based services to those in need. Although there has been a significant increase in the efforts to eliminate suicide over the past ten years, especially in teens and through risk assessment, not enough time and effort is dedicated toward prevention and intervention methods as identifying, encouraging, and supporting resilient factors within incarcerated youth.

 Acknowledging and addressing resilient factors has been identified as extremely valuable and encouraged as a best practice by research and mental health professionals. Also known as “protective factors,” resilient factors are conditions, interests, and qualities that “promote strength and resilience and ensure that vulnerable individuals are supported and connected with others during difficult times” (It Only Takes One, 2015, p.1). These include access to effective, empathetic, and competent mental and physical health care, strong connections to support from one’s family and community, problem-solving and adaptive conflict resolution skills, and social activities (It Only Takes One, 2015). In fact, a study performed by Taliaferro, Rienzo, Miller, Pigg, and Dodd (2008) found that for adolescent males, the risk of hopelessness and suicidality were reduced by frequent vigorous activity; and for females the experience of hopelessness was present and stronger in adolescent females who endorsed and demonstrated low levels of physical activity. Not only does this suggest that providing adolescents and young adults with social and/or physical activities outside of their home and school may be beneficial to their physical, and therefore mental health; but it also suggests that activities may instigate and facilitate social support- an invaluable factor of resilience in youth. Finding an interest, creative outlet, or topic of discussion is a simple start, then moving onto talents, skills, and values can also help. Involving family, friends, and/or community resources is also recognized as a beneficial action step to demonstrate that the youth is not alone, and belongs somewhere. Working with the youth to identify dreams, goals, values, and/or anything future related can instill hope and purpose (D. Beck, personal communication, August 8, 2015).

The tragedy among juvenile detention centers and residential treatment facilities is not only that suicide is the leading cause of death amongst the youth, but also that many of these facilities are not implementing or utilizing best practices or effective and evidence-based services to those in need. Identifying, discussing and/or supporting resilient factors in an at-risk youth has been empirically shown to be one of those best practices in prevention and intervention efforts. To bring things full circle, life is meant to be lived, and all professionals working in or with the Juvenile Justice system have the opportunity to stop an incarcerated youth from leaving the stage in the middle of a song (Rascal Flatts, 2009).

*****

Ashley Herbst is a second-year Psy.D. student in the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology. She earned her M.S. in clinical psychology at Loyola University of Maryland in 2014, and has a special interest in adolescents and young adults involved in the justice system. She can be contacted at aherbst@du.edu.

Impact a Student's Life on Colorado Gives Day

One of CJSF's most groundbreaking initiatives is our youth entrepreneurship FIRE Within program. The FIRE Within is a unique opportunity for high school students to significantly impact their school and community by creating sustainable, revenue generating businesses that directly address root causes of mental health distress and promote suicide prevention.

On December 8th, Colorado will celebrate a statewide day of giving - Colorado Gives Day. On December 8th, your gifts go further. Please click here to schedule your Sponsor a Student gift.

One Colorado High School shares their story:

By November 2014 two ninth grade students had died by suicide and several more were identified as having suicide plans. While typically an upper classman curriculum, this school took on FIRE Within with a group of freshman, identified at high risk of dropping out of school due to poor academic performance, low attendance, substance abuse, gang involvement, and other challenges. The students set out to create a social enterprise addressing widespread issues of distrust within their community. The students' goal was to open lines of communication between youth and adults, to build a more cohesive student community, and to reduce stigma around help-seeking behavior. Through the FIRE Within program, the class showed continual increases in academics, attendance, class and school engagement, improved teamwork skills and class cohesion, better understanding of school and social issues, and increased self-confidence.

"I am shocked at the transformation some of these students have made...This program showed these kids how they could use their natural talents for something that serves a community in need." - FIRE Within Educator

Over six hundred students participate in the FIRE Within each year. Please consider helping us continue providing this opportunity by "Sponsoring a Student". Your sponsorship will cover academic materials and program costs for one student for the full year. For just $20 per month, you can forever impact the future of an entrepreneurial high school student, and make a difference to an entire community!

As we embark on a new year, we take time to reflect and show gratitude for the many milestones and successes of 2015. Thank you for all you do to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority.


With Gratitude,

Sally Spencer-Thomas
Co-Founder and CEO

Diane Saslow: My Journey to Find Meaning After My Daughter's Suicide

By Emily Alvarez

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather around the world at events in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. We have learned that stories of lived experience are one of the best ways to fight the stigma of mental illness and suicide and to help get people involved in the movement. In honor of Survivor Day, we have chosen to highlight the story of a survivor who has made significant contributions to the field by investing her time, making financial contributions, and providing of emotional support to other survivors.

Diane Saslow lost her daughter, Emily, to suicide ten years ago. This is her story:

Emily Saslow was/is a daughter, sister, cousin, and friend to many.  She died by suicide on October 17, 2005 at 26 years old.  Emily was the one who always was smiling and laughing in any picture taken of her.  She is also the one in the group who lived with unrelenting mental illness, an illness she fought against for most if not all of her 26 years. 

Emily Saslow

Emily packed a lot of living into her 26 years. She excelled at school, college and law school – she participated in sports, she spent many years taking modern dance lessons and performed with a junior dance troop in Denver, she travelled and had a wide circle of friends.  Even while nurturing and enjoying friendships Emily had a tough time with interactions with people.  She constantly fought against terrible low self-esteems mainly because her illness kept her from understanding how exceptional she was.  She hid her insecurities well, and what a struggle that must have been for her. She loved the law and enjoyed her years in law school and she spent many holidays travelling all over the world with friends. I am very proud of Emily for managing to live for 26 years. 

Emily’s suicide was done with great intention.  It was not a gesture gone awry.  At 26 years old she wanted out of this life and she researched the methods that would allow her to leave.  

Even though it is 10 years after her death, I don’t think my mourning has ended.  There is a space that will never be filled in my heart and head, and there will always be an empty chair wherever I am.  I no longer go to the phone to call her to tell her something funny or interesting, I just play it in my head and am soothed by my one sided conversations with her.
Emily fought valiantly against this illness from a very young age.  She had therapy and medication.  Emily died from a disease.  Just like people who die from cancer or heart ailments. Like many parents who have lost a child to an illness, I have spent the ten years since her death working to do my part to prevent this from happening to others. I do the best I can to help those with depression have the courage to get help, and be very honest during treatment when they do get help. 

Diane and Emily Saslow at a wedding

I continue to make meaning of my loss by speaking to high school and college students and supporting the FIRE Within program.  I have also participated in the annual American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Community Walks, raising funds for research and programs that help to erase the stigma of mental illness and suicide.  I co-facilitate a monthly Survivors of Suicide support group where I give direction and hope to others who are newly walking this difficult path after losing a loved one to suicide.  Emily always helped others; she taught dance at an afterschool program to elementary school students who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to experience learn about the world of modern dance and all it can open for people. 

I hope the work I am doing in the suicide prevention world is work that she would be proud of. 

When I speak with people who are recent survivors of a loved one’s suicide I am gentle. I try to communicate that however they are feeling, they will feel differently months and years down the road.  They will not feel better, but they will feel different. Once they acclimate to their “new normal” they will enjoy life’s daily pleasures, even though it seems impossible to believe that early in the grieving and mourning process.  And most of all they will never lose or leave their dead loved one behind; they will take them with them on their healing path – because getting better does not mean losing your relationship with the dead.

The effects of a suicide loss are long-lasting and far-reaching.  Many survivors look for ways to make meaning out of their loss and celebrate the life of their loved one. There are many wonderful organizations that provide life-saving suicide prevention programming. The Carson J Spencer Foundation elevates the conversation to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority. Through a variety of prevention programs, Carson J Spencer Foundation is changing the face of suicide loss. Whether you partner with our organization, or another, we encourage you to get involved. Giving a gift, in memory of a loved one lost, can help create the meaning that so many seek.

On December 8^th, Colorado will celebrate a statewide day of giving – Colorado Gives Day.  On December 8^th, your gifts go further, thanks to a $1,000,000 incentive fund created by Community First Foundation and FirstBank.  To schedule a Colorado Gives Day gift to the Carson J Spencer Foundation, please visit https://www.coloradogives.org/index.php?section=organizations&action=newDonation&fwID=28207

A Special Focus on “Military/Veterans” and New Man Therapy Resources

By Sally Spencer-Thomas

The constant beat of the major media drum often paints a grim picture of Veterans and suicide. Sometimes we wonder if these messages become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Consistent headline include data such as

• Approximately 22 Veterans die by suicide each day (about one every 65 minutes).
• In 2012, suicide deaths outpaced combat deaths, with 349 active-duty suicide; on average about one per day.
• The suicide rate among Veterans (30 per 100,00) is double the civilian rate.

Listening to this regular narrative a collective concern and urgency emerges on how best to support our Veterans who are transitioning back to civilian jobs and communities. Many Veterans have a number of risk factors for suicide contributing to the dire suicide statistics mentioned above including:

• A strong identity in a fearless, stoic, risk-taking and macho culture
• Exposure to trauma and possible traumatic brain injury
• Common practices of self-medication through substance abuse
• Strong stigmatizing view of mental illness

Thus, employers and others who would like to support Veterans are not always clear on how to be a "military-friendly community." What is often not always expressed in these media reports about statistics and risks is the incredible resilience and resourcefulness our Veterans have when facing many daunting challenges and the many ways that they have learned to cope.

The Carson J Spencer Foundation and our Man Therapy partners Cactus and Colorado's Office of Suicide Prevention set out to learn more about these questions and conducted a six-month needs and strength assessment involving two in-person focus groups and two national focus groups with representation from Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and family perspectives.

When asked how we could best reach them, what issues they'd like to see addressed, and what resources they need, here is what they told us:

"I think that when you reach out to the Vets, do it with humor and compassion...Give them something to talk about in the humor, they will come back when no on is looking for the compassion." They often mentioned they preferred a straightforward approach that wasn't overly statistical, clinical or wordy.

Make seeking help easy. A few mentioned they liked an anonymous opportunity to check out their mental health from the privacy of their own home. Additionally, a concern exists among Veterans who assume some other service member would need a resource more, so they hesitate to seek help, in part, because they don't want to take away a resource from "someone who may really need it." Having universal access through the Internet gets around this issue.

New content requests: "We need to honor the warrior in transition. The loss of identity is a big deal along with camaraderie and cohesion. Who I was, who I am now, who I am going to be..." The top request for content was about how to manage the transition from military life to civilian life. The loss of identity and not knowing who "has your back" is significant. Several were incredibly concerned about being judged for PTS (no "D"-- as the stress response they experience is a normal response to an abnormal situation). Requests for content also included:

1. Post-traumatic stress and growth
2. Traumatic brain injury
3. Military sexual trauma
4. Fatherhood and relationships, especially during deployment

Finally, they offered some suggestions on the best ways to reach Veterans are through trusted peers, family members and leaders with "vicarious credibility."

Because of these needs and suggestions, an innovative online tool called "Man Therapy" now offers male Military/Veterans a new way to self-assess for mental health challenges and link to resources.

• http://mantherapy.org/
• http://mantherapy.org/#/richs_list
• Videos Highlighting Veteran's stories of hope and recovery:
• Tony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAYLotW27Bo
• Also see stories by Logan, Kyle, Chad and Paul here: http://mantherapy.org/#/more_videos

In addition to mental health support, many other things can be done to support Veterans

• Hire a Veteran. Because they make excellent employees, and it's one of the best ways we can help support their mental health and their transition back into civilian life: https://www.hireheroesusa.org/why-hire-a-veteran
• Financial Management and Planning: http://www.military.com/money
• Provide Service Dog Support: https://freedomsericedogs.org/

In conclusion, we owe it to our service members to provide them with resources and support and to listen carefully to the challenges and barriers that prevent them from fully thriving. Learn how you can be a part of the solution instead of just focusing on the problem.

*****

REFERENCES

US Department of Veteran Affairs (2013, February 1). U.S. military veteran suicide rise, one dies every 65 minutes. Reuters, Retrieved from mobile.reuters.com. July 2,2015

Hargarten, J., Buurnson, F., Campo, B., and Cook, C. (2013, August 24) Veteran suicides: Twice as high as civilian rates. Retrieved from backhome.news21.com/article/suicide/ July 2, 2015

Healthy Men Have Healthy Minds: A Forum to Engage Men in Dialogue about Mental Health

By Emily Alvarez

In 2013, Colorado ranked 7^th in the nation for suicide rates, a persistent trend shared by other states in the West. Men continue to account for more than 75% of the deaths by suicide in Colorado and contributing factors to this are divorce, depression, isolation, and substance abuse. The 1^st annual Men’s Mental Health Forum is there to ask the question “why?” and begin to discuss some answers. The Mental Health Forum called Healthy Men Have Healthy Minds: A Forum to Engage Men in Dialogue about Mental Health is supported by the Carson J Spencer Foundation, contributing co-founder of Man Therapy (www.ManTherapy.org), and Sondermind, whole person wellness. The forum will take place on Thursday, November 19, 2015 from 2:15 – 5:00 pm in the Russell Pavilion at the St. Joseph’s Hospital. Tickets are $25 until 11/6 and $40 afterward. For more information, visit www.CarsonJSpencer.org or contact Sally Spencer-Thomas at sally@carsonjspencer.org or (720) 244-6535.

The forum features two keynote speakers: Josh Levs and Andrew O’Brien. Josh Levs is an investigative journalist formerly with CNN and NPR, an expert on issues facing modern families and author of All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses--And How We Can Fix It Together. Levs will be talking about what modern life is doing to dads’ mental health. Andrew O’Brien is an Iraq war veteran and suicide attempt survivor. After being lucky enough to wake up after his attempt, Andrew decided to make a difference for all communities suffering from suicide. O’Brien will be sharing lessons learned in resiliency.

“Mental health is just like any other part of health. It's time to drop the stigmas and have public conversations about the stresses and challenges men are facing,” said Josh Levs, keynote speaker. “This is why All In explores health issues facing men in both body and mind.  It's also why I open up about my own experiences.”

The goals of the forum are to let men know they are not alone when feeling overwhelmed, stressed or depressed, to educate participants about men-friendly mental health and support resources, and to build a community of men who are interested in supporting other men going through life challenges. Other subjects that will be discussed during the forum are work-life balance, stress management, living with a mental health condition, rebuilding your life after divorce, and tools for recovery.

“For a man to be the strongest and most present father, partner, employee, friend and family member, strong mental health is paramount,” said Jarrod Hindman, Violence and Suicide Prevention Section Manager at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Owning when we need a mental health tune-up is a strength, and now is the time to make it the norm. 

Immediately following the forum, there will be the 4^th annual Guy’s Night Out held at Casselman’s Bar and Venue from 5:30 – 9:00 pm on November 19^th. Here men can mingle with local music and sports celebrities at the VIP reception, sip bourbon, eat BBQ and even get their golf swing analyzed – all in the name of supporting an innovative approach to men’s mental health. Tickets are $100 for just Guy’s Night Out or $115 if combined with the Mental Health Forum. For more information, visit www.CarsonJSpencer.org.

Proceeds from Guys Night Out go to the Carson J Spencer Foundation and the Man Therapy™ campaign (www.ManTherapy.org) aimed at using humor to prevent suicide for working-aged men. By using compelling and innovative media, Dr. Rich Mahogany (a fictional therapist), the focal point of an innovative campaign called “Man Therapy,™” reshapes the conversation, using manly approaches to cut through stigma and tackle issues like depression, divorce and even suicidal thoughts head on, the way a man would do it. An additional beneficiary is Project Sanctuary (http://projectsanctuary.us), a non-profit supporting military families through therapeutic retreats.

Guy’s Night Out video from 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npeyhD0nwYQ

Register now, as there is limited seating for the forum. To register and learn more about the speakers and the event, visit www.CarsonJSpencer.org. Contact Sally Spencer-Thomas at sally@carsonjspencer.org or (720) 244-6535 with any questions.

###

About the Carson J Spencer Foundation - Sustaining a Passion for Living

The Carson J Spencer Foundation (www.CarsonJSpencer.org) is a Colorado nonprofit, established in 2005.  We envision a world where leaders and communities are committed to sustaining a passion for living. We sustain a passion for living by:

• Delivering innovative and effective suicide prevention programs for working-aged people
• Coaching young leaders to develop social enterprises for mental health promotion and suicide prevention
• Supporting people bereaved by suicide

Hope Illuminated: Annual Suicide Prevention Conference on September 29th and 30th in Chatham, Ontario, Canada

John D. Bradley Chatham-Kent
Convention Centre, Chatham, Ontario

As a clinical psychologist, mental health advocate, faculty member, consumer of mental health services, and survivor of her brother’s suicide, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas sees issues of suicide prevention and mental health promotion from many perspectives. Spencer-Thomas will be speaking at the Erie St. Clair LHIN & Canadian Mental Health Association Suicide Prevention Conference on September 29^th & 30^th at the John D. Bradley Chatham-Kent Convention Centre in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. She will be community health and mental health professionals, educators, emergency personnel, interested community members, and families and survivors on how the suicide continuum impacts communities, and what communities can do to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority. The presentation will also assist participants on how to respond should a suicide tragedy strike.  For more information on the event contact Ellie Fraser 519-436-6100 or EFraser@cmhalambtonkent.ca.

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas is currently the CEO of the Carson J Spencer Foundation, a Colorado-based national organization dedicated to leading i

nnovation in suicide prevention. She is also the past Director of the Survivor of Suicide Loss Division with the American Association of Suicidology, and is the Co-Lead of the Workplace Task Force with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

Sally Spencer-Thomas
Presenting in Ontario

“As a proud mental health professional, it’s an honor to come back and help build suicide prevention capacity in others,” said Spencer-Thomas.

Within her role as CEO of the Carson J Spencer Foundation, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas has established and founded Working Minds, the nation’s first comprehensive suicide prevention program exclusively dedicated to suicide prevention in the workplace; founded the FIRE Within program for youth and social entrepreneurs; and, was the principal partner on the award-winning Man Therapy social marketing campaign.

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas has received wide recognition for her work and has been an invited guest to the White House Briefing on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in DC and to the World Health Organization’s World Suicide Report Launch in Geneva.  As a professional speaker, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas has presented around the world and for organizations such as the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Energy and the FBI.

###

About the Carson J Spencer Foundation - Sustaining a Passion for Living

The Carson J Spencer Foundation (www.CarsonJSpencer.org) is a Colorado nonprofit, established in 2005.  We envision a world where leaders and communities are committed to sustaining a passion for living. As leaders in innovation in suicide prevention, our mission is to elevate the conversation to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority. We do this by:

• Delivering innovative and effective suicide prevention programs for working-aged people
• Coaching young leaders to develop social enterprises for mental health promotion and suicide prevention
• Supporting people bereaved by suicide

Be a Shining Light of Hope: Suicide Prevention Training at Bowdoin College on September 23rd in Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin College,
Brunswick, Maine

As a clinical psychologist, mental health advocate, faculty member, consumer of mental health services, and survivor of her brother’s suicide, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas sees issues of suicide prevention and mental health promotion from many perspectives. Spencer-Thomas will speaking at to faculty and staff at Bowdoin College during the day, then doing a community keynote from 7:00 – 8:00 pm on September 23, 2015. She will be addressing faculty and students as well as community members on how the suicide continuum impacts communities, and what communities can do to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority. The presentation will also assist participants on how to respond should a suicide tragedy strike.  For more information on the event contact Sara Eddy 207-725-3079 or seddy@bowdoin.edu.

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas is currently the CEO of the Carson J Spencer Foundation, a Colorado-based national organization dedicated to leading innovation in suicide prevention. She is also the past Director of the Survivor of Suicide Loss Division with the American Association of Suicidology, and is the Co-Lead of the Workplace Task Force with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

Sally Spencer-Thomas,
CEO & Co-Founder

“As a proud alumnus from Bowdoin College, it’s an honor to come back and help build suicide prevention capacity in my alma mater,” said Spencer-Thomas.

Within her role as CEO of the Carson J Spencer Foundation, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas has established and founded Working Minds, the nation’s first comprehensive suicide prevention program exclusively dedicated to suicide prevention in the workplace; founded the FIRE Within program for youth and social entrepreneurs; and, was the principal partner on the award-winning Man Therapy social marketing campaign.

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas has received wide recognition for her work and has been an invited guest to the White House Briefing on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in DC and to the World Health Organization’s World Suicide Report Launch in Geneva.  As a professional speaker, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas has presented around the world and for organizations such as the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Energy and the FBI.

###

About the Carson J Spencer Foundation - Sustaining a Passion for Living

The Carson J Spencer Foundation (www.CarsonJSpencer.org) is a Colorado nonprofit, established in 2005.  We envision a world where leaders and communities are committed to sustaining a passion for living. As leaders in innovation in suicide prevention, our mission is to elevate the conversation to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority. We do this by:

• Delivering innovative and effective suicide prevention programs for working-aged people
• Coaching young leaders to develop social enterprises for mental health promotion and suicide prevention
• Supporting people bereaved by suicide