Why Suicide Is Different: Essential Information for Caregivers & Employers

This United Suicide Survivors International webinar was recorded on 8/20/24. Supporting a loved one through mental health struggles and/or suicidal crisis can be a uniquely challenging experience for caregivers. This responsibility can also increase stress which can in turn impact a caregiver's productivity at work. Workplaces are uniquely positioned to provide support and resources for caregivers as the first line of defense. This webinar can help caregivers gain skills and knowledge to better support their loved ones while also caring for themselves. It provides employers with an understanding of the needs of mental health and suicide caregivers, as well as strategies to plan ahead for organizational sustainability when employees may need to take time away to provide care (for loved ones at risk).

Guest speakers share expertise, lived experience, and provide participants with the opportunity to help advance their research. Two of the three are part of national Workplace Suicide Prevention efforts (a United Survivors and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention collaboration: https://workplacesuicideprevention.com/.)

These experts are seeking to even better understand caregiver experiences in part by conducting a survey. It is focused on how workplaces can better support employees who are caring for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Learn more about the study through the webinar and/or at https://umaryland.az1.qualtrics.com/j.... Perhaps you or someone you know can help this caring team and others create national resources and recommendations for employers around these issues by participating!

Objectives:
-Become familiar with a toolkit with practical caregiving skills to discuss suicide openly and provide support for loved ones thinking about suicide
-Learn how to communicate and advocate for needs as a suicide caregiver with employers
-Implement support strategies for formal and informal caregivers within the workplace

About the Panelists:
Dr. Frey is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore's School of Social Work. She co-chairs the national Workplace Suicide Prevention & Postvention Committee. Dr. Frey is founder and faculty Executive Director of the Center for Behavioral Health & Well-being Research. She co-founded the International Employee Assistance Digital Archive and serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. Dr. Frey has over 100 publications on behavioral health and well-being, with a focus on suicide prevention and regularly speaks at national and international conferences.

Johanna Louie is a licensed clinical social worker passionate about caring for caregivers. In 10+ years of working in suicide prevention, she has served in caregiving roles like crisis line manager and psychotherapist, as well as directed clinical training programs. In 2018, she co-founded Suicide Is Different which provides support services for both professional and family caregivers caring for someone thinking about suicide. Johanna is a member of the national Workplace Suicide Prevention & Postvention Committee. She holds Master’s Degrees in Social Work from Columbia University and Human Behavior from the University of Southern California.

Christel Joel Tajouoh is a first-year Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Before joining the Ph.D. program, Christel worked with individuals and families, providing mental health services. Christel is certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Contextual DBT, and Trauma therapy. Christel’s research interests revolve around suicide and suicide-related behaviors among Latino youth. Christel is interested in the implications of cultural variables in suicide and suicide-related behaviors. Part of his research includes the development of culturally tailored interventions for Latinx youth experiencing suicide-related behaviors. Christel’s work is guided by anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and socially just research. He received his M.S.W. from the University of Maryland Baltimore and an M.A. and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon.

Resources:
https://www.suicideisdifferent.org/
https://afsp.org/
bit.ly/WhitePaperHRLaw
HopeCertification.com
bit.ly/WSPQSGuide
bit.ly/PeerSupportManual
https://archive.hshsl.umaryland.edu/h...
bit.ly/PostventionGuide
https://unsuicide.org/
https://www.mindwise.org/sos-signs-of...
https://humanpowerproject.com/curricu...
https://www.mcspnow.com/_files/ugd/6b...

For more on US, visit unitesurvivors.org; Archived webinars: https://unitesurvivors.org/learn; On social media: @unitesurvivors.

WSP:
www.facebook.com/WorkplaceSuicidePrevention
twitter.com/WorkSuicidePrev
www.linkedin.com/company/workplace-suicide-prevention/
www.instagram.com/workplacesuicideprevention
   / @workplacesuicideprevention9604